Chloroplasts
What green pigment inside chloroplasts absorbs sunlight?
chlorophyll
Where in the chloroplast do the light-dependent reactions occur?
Thylakoid membranes
Where does the Calvin Cycle take place in the chloroplast?
stroma
What is the main problem plants face when they open their stomata?
water loss
What is the main source of energy for life on Earth?
the sun
What are the flattened sacs inside the chloroplast called, where light-dependent reactions occur?
thylakoids
What gas is released as a waste product during the light reactions?
What gas from the atmosphere enters the Calvin Cycle?
Carbon dioxide (CO₂)
What is the purpose of the C₄ and CAM pathways?
To conserve water
What type of organisms can make their own food using light energy?
autotroph (plants, algae, and some bacteria)
What is the fluid-filled space surrounding the thylakoids inside the chloroplast called?
stroma
What two energy-carrying molecules are produced in the light reactions?
ATP & NADPH
What 5-carbon molecule combines with carbon dioxide in the Calvin Cycle?
RuBP
When do CAM plants open their stomata?
At night
What is the chemical equation for photosynthesis?
6CO₂ + 6H₂O + sunlight → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂
What are stacks of thylakoids called?
grana (singular: granum)
What happens to water molecules during the light-dependent reactions?
What is the main product of the Calvin Cycle?
Glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆)
What compound do C₄ plants form to temporarily store carbon dioxide?
Oxaloacetic acid (a 4-carbon compound)
What pigment is responsible for capturing light energy?
chlorophyll
What chloroplast structures do the light dependent reactions and Calvin cycle take place in respectively?
thylakoid (thylakoid membrane specifically), stroma
What are the two functions of the electron transport chain in photosynthesis?
Transfer electrons from photosystem II to I & make ATP.
What two molecules from the light reactions are needed to power the Calvin Cycle?
ATP & NADPH
Name one example of a CAM plant and one example of a C₄ plant.
CAM – cactus or pineapple; C₄ – corn, sugarcane, or crabgrass
What organelle does photosynthesis take place in plant cells?
chloroplast