Photosynthesis - plant cells Flashcards
(13 cards)
What are the three membranes of the chloroplast?
Outer membrane
Inner membrane
Thylakoid membrane
What are the three compartments of the chloroplast?
Intermembrane space
Stroma (site of the Calvin Cycle)
Thylakoid space (site of light reactions)
What is the overall equation for photosynthesis?
6CO2+6H2O→C6H12O6+62
What are the two stages of photosynthesis?
-Light Reactions (convert light energy into ATP & NADPH)
-Calvin Cycle (Carbon Fixation) (uses ATP & NADPH to make glucose)
What is the function of chlorophyll?
Chlorophyll absorbs light energy and passes it to high-energy electrons.
What are the products of the light reactions?
ATP
NADPH
Oxygen (O₂) (as a byproduct from water splitting)
What is the function of the Photosynthetic Electron Transport Chain?
It moves high-energy electrons, creating an H⁺ gradient that helps make ATP.
What are the three steps of the Calvin Cycle?
Fixation – CO₂ binds to a 5-carbon molecule, forming two 3-carbon molecules.
Reduction – Uses ATP & NADPH to make a high-energy 3-carbon molecule.
Regeneration – Some 3-carbon molecules regenerate the 5-carbon molecule.
What is the final output of the Calvin Cycle?
A 3-carbon molecule, which combines with another to form glucose.
How do plants & animals use glucose for energy?
They break down glucose in the mitochondria using cellular respiration to generate ATP.
What is the role of ATP synthase?
It uses the H⁺ gradient across a membrane to produce ATP in both photosynthesis & respiration.
What is the Endosymbiotic Theory?
The theory that chloroplasts & mitochondria originated from free-living prokaryotes that were engulfed by a larger cell and formed a symbiotic relationship.
