Photosynthesis Basics
What are the reactants of photosynthesis?
Carbon dioxide and water
What are the reactants of aerobic respiration?
Glucose and oxygen
What is ATP?
Adenosine triphosphate, the energy currency of the cell.
What are stomata and what do they do?
They are the pores on the surface of the leaf. They are used for gas exchange. They absorb CO2 and release O2.
How are photosynthesis and cellular respiration related?
They are opposite processes; photosynthesis converts CO₂ and water into glucose and oxygen, while respiration converts glucose and oxygen into CO₂ and water.
What are the products of photosynthesis?
Glucose and oxygen.
What are the products of aerobic respiration?
Carbon dioxide, water, ATP
How is ATP produced in cells?
Through cellular respiration in the mitochondria
How does the leaf structure facilitate photosynthesis?
Leaves have a large surface area and contain chloroplasts where photosynthesis occurs.
Enzymes speed up both reactions to a certain point. Each reaction has specialized enzymes for each part of the process.
Identify the basic function of photosynthesis.
To convert light energy into chemical energy stored in glucose.
What is the main function of anaerobic respiration?
To produce energy without oxygen
Describe the role of ATP in cellular processes.
ATP provides energy for various cellular activities like muscle contraction and active transport.
What role do roots play in plant physiology?
Roots absorb water and nutrients from the soil.
What is the significance of the carbon cycle?
It describes the movement of carbon through the environment, linking photosynthesis and respiration.
How does light intensity affect photosynthesis?
Increased light intensity increases the rate of photosynthesis up to a certain point.
Compare aerobic and anaerobic respiration.
Aerobic respiration uses oxygen and produces more ATP (36 to 38); anaerobic respiration does not use oxygen and produces less ATP (2).
What happens to ATP during cellular respiration?
It is synthesized during the breakdown of glucose and then utilized for energy.
Describe the function of xylem and phloem. What type of tissues are these?
Vascular tissues. Xylem transports water and nutrients from roots to leaves; phloem transports sugars from leaves to other parts of the plant.
Discuss the role of chloroplasts and mitochondria in energy transformation.
Chloroplasts convert solar energy into chemical energy during photosynthesis, while mitochondria convert chemical energy in glucose into ATP during respiration.
Describe the role of chlorophyll in photosynthesis.
Chlorophyll absorbs light energy, primarily from the blue and red wavelengths, which is essential for photosynthesis.
Explain how fermentation occurs in anaerobic respiration.
Fermentation is the process that allows cells to produce energy in the absence of oxygen, converting glucose into lactic acid or ethanol.
Where is the energy stored/released in the ATP molecule?
Between the second and third Phosphate group
Explain the difference between guard cells and stomata (function and how many of each)
Guard cells are a PAIR of specialized cells that surround and form a single stoma/pore. There are 2 guard cells for every stoma. Guard cells regulate when stomata open/close, and stomata regulate gas exchange.
How do environmental factors impact photosynthesis and respiration?
Factors like temperature, light intensity, and carbon dioxide concentration can influence the rates of both processes.