1D Photosynthesis Vocabulary

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Primary Producer

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Organisms that produce biomass from inorganic compounds (autotrophs).

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Autotroph

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An organism that produces complex organic compounds from simple substances present in its surroundings, generally using energy from light or inorganic chemical reactions.

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Photosynthesis

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The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll.

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Chemiosynthesis

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The synthesis of organic compounds by bacteria or other living organisms using energy derived from reactions involving inorganic chemicals, typically in the absence of sunlight.

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Pigments

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Molecules that absorb specific wavelengths of light and are used by plants to capture light energy.

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Chlorophyll

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A green pigment responsible for the absorption of light to provide energy for photosynthesis.

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Thylakoid

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A membrane-bound compartment inside chloroplasts and cyanobacteria, the site of the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis.

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Stroma

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The fluid-filled space surrounding the grana inside a chloroplast where the light-independent reactions (Calvin Cycle) occur.

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NADP+

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Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, a coenzyme that functions as a universal electron carrier, accepting electrons and hydrogen atoms to form NADPH.

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Light Dependent Reactions

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The series of biochemical reactions in photosynthesis that require light energy, captured by light-absorbing pigments, to be converted into chemical energy in the form of ATP and NADPH.