Photosynthesis Vocabulary
December 8, 2018
CHAPTER 8
Photosynthesis Vocabulary
Photosynthesis Vocabulary
December 8, 2018
HOMEOSTASIS - Relatively constant internal and physical conditions that
organisms maintain
ADENOSINE TRIPHOSPHATE - (ATP) the energy currency of life. ATP is a highenergy compound found in every cell. Its function within a cell is to store
and release energy. ATP is the basic energy source used by all types of
cells.
HETEROTROPH - An organism that obtains food by consuming other living
things, also called a consumer
AUTOTROPH - An organism that is able to capture energy from sunlight
and use it to produce its own food from inorganic compounds, also
called a producer
PHOTOSYNTHESIS - The process used by plants and other autotrophs to
capture light energy and use it to power chemical reactions that convert
carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and energy rich carbohydrates
such as sugars and starches
PIGMENT - Light absorbing molecule used by plants to gather the sun’s
energy
CHLOROPHYLL - Principal pigment of plants and other photosynthetic
organisms
Photosynthesis Vocabulary
December 8, 2018
THYLAKOID - Saclike photosynthetic membranes found in chloroplasts
STROMA - Fluid portion of the chloroplast, outside of the thylakoids
NADP+ -A carrier molecule that transfers high-energy electrons from
chlorophyll to other molecules
LIGHT-DEPENDENT REACTIONS - Set of reactions in photosynthesis that use
energy from light to produce ATP and NADPH
LIGHT-INDEPENDENT REACTIONS - Set of reactions in photosynthesis that do
not require light; energy from ATP and NADPH is used to build highenergy compounds such as sugar, also called the Calvin cycle