Photosynthesis Vocabulary

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Photosynthesis

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Process used by plants and other autotrophs to capture light energy and convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and energy-rich carbohydrates.

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Heterotroph

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Organism that obtains food by consuming other living things; also called a consumer.

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ATP

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A compound used by cells to store and release energy.

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Stroma

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Fluid portion of the chloroplast; outside of the thylakoids.

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Light-independent reactions

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Set of reactions in photosynthesis that do not require light; energy from ATP and NADPH is used to build high-energy compounds such as sugar.

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Chlorophyll

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Green pigment found in plants that absorbs light energy used to carry out photosynthesis.

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Thylakoids

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Membrane-bound compartments inside chloroplasts where the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis occur.

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Calvin Cycle

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Another name for the light-independent reactions of photosynthesis, where carbon dioxide is fixed into glucose.

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NADP+

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An electron carrier molecule that transfers high-energy electrons from chlorophyll to other molecules.

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Light-dependent reactions

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Reactions in photosynthesis that require light to produce ATP and NADPH.