Unit 3 Vocabulary: Cell Energy

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ATP (adenosine triphosphate)

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Compound used by cells to store and release energy.

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Heterotroph

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

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Autotroph

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Organism that is able to capture energy from sunlight or chemicals and use it to produce its own food from inorganic compounds; also called a producer.

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Photosynthesis

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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.

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Pigments

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Light-absorbing molecules used by plants to gather the sun's energy.

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Chlorophyll

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Principal pigment of plants and other photosynthetic organisms.

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Thylakoid

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Saclike photosynthetic membranes found in chloroplasts.

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Stroma

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Fluid portion of the chloroplasts; outside the thylakoid.

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Light-Dependent reactions

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Set of reactions in photosynthesis that use energy from light to produce ATP and NADPH.

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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 sugars; also called the Calvin Cycle.