ATP/ADP
This molecule is often called the "energy currency" of the cell.
What is ATP (adenosine triphosphate)?
Write the overall balanced reactants and products for photosynthesis in words (what goes in and what comes out).
What is 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + light → C6H12O6 + 6 O2 (in words: carbon dioxide and water plus light produce glucose and oxygen)
What are the three main stages of aerobic cellular respiration?
What is glycolysis, Krebs cycle (citric acid cycle), and oxidative phosphorylation (ETC + chemiosmosis)?
This gas is the final electron acceptor in aerobic respiration, allowing the Electron Transport Chain to continue producing ATP.
What is oxygen?
This process allows glycolysis to continue in the absence of oxygen by converting pyruvate into lactic acid in muscle cells.
What is lactic acid fermentation?
This part of the ATP molecule stores the most energy and is broken to release usable energy for the cell.
What is the third phosphate bond?
Identify the cellular organelle and the specific membrane/structure where the light-dependent reactions occur.
What is chloroplast; thylakoid membranes?
For glycolysis: state where it occurs in the cell and name the net ATP and NADH produced per glucose.
What is cytoplasm; net yield per glucose: 2 ATP (net) and 2 NADH?
This organelle is the site of aerobic respiration, where the Krebs cycle and Electron Transport Chain generate most of a cell’s ATP.
What is the mitochrondrian?
This molecule is regenerated during fermentation so glycolysis can keep producing small amounts of ATP.
What is NAD⁺?
Give the chemical reaction (in words) that describes ATP losing a phosphate to become ADP.
What is ATP + H2O → ADP + Pi + energy (ATP is hydrolyzed; in words: ATP loses a phosphate, forming ADP and releasing energy?
This cycle in the stroma uses carbon dioxide, ATP, and NADPH to produce glucose during the light‑independent reactions.
What is the Calvin cycle?
These high‑energy electron carriers deliver electrons to the Electron Transport Chain, enabling large‑scale ATP production.
What are NADH and FADH₂?
This stage of aerobic respiration breaks down pyruvate into carbon dioxide while producing NADH and FADH₂ for the ETC.
What is the Krebs cycle?
This type of respiration produces only 2 ATP per glucose molecule because it relies solely on glycolysis.
What is anaerobic respiration?
Explain why ATP must be continuously produced rather than stored in large amounts by the cell.
What is because ATP is unstable and used constantly, so cells must regenerate it continuously instead of storing it long‑term?
This stage of photosynthesis uses sunlight to split water, releasing oxygen and producing ATP and NADPH.
What are the light‑dependent reactions?
This stage of cellular respiration occurs in the mitochondria, produces carbon dioxide, and generates high‑energy electron carriers NADH and FADH₂ that will later power the electron transport chain.
What is the Krebs Cycle?
During aerobic respiration, this molecule is produced in the greatest quantity—typically around 30–34 per glucose molecule.
What is ATP?
Yeast cells perform this type of anaerobic process, producing carbon dioxide and ethanol as by‑products.
What is alcoholic fermentation?
Compare how ATP production changes when a cell switches from aerobic respiration to anaerobic respiration.
What is ATP production drops sharply because anaerobic respiration relies only on glycolysis, which makes far less ATP than the Electron Transport Chain?
Compare the roles of the light‑dependent reactions and the Calvin cycle by identifying what each stage produces for the plant.
What is the light‑dependent reactions make ATP and NADPH, while the Calvin cycle uses them to make glucose?
A student compares aerobic and anaerobic respiration. Identify how ATP production differs between the two and explain the reason for this difference.
What is aerobic respiration makes much more ATP because oxygen allows the ETC to operate, while anaerobic respiration relies only on glycolysis?
This process uses the proton gradient created by the Electron Transport Chain to power ATP synthase and generate ATP.
What is chemiosmosis?
This stage of cellular respiration is the only one that occurs during anaerobic conditions and does not require oxygen.
What is glycolysis?