The Basics
Photosynthesis
What is the pigment responsible for most photosynthesis, and where is it found?
Chlorophyll, found in the chloroplasts in the mesophyll of the leaf
What type and color of light does most chlorophyll work best with? What does it work worst with?
Visible light of red or blue color typically works best, while green is the worst.
Also accept the specific wavelengths of 680 and 700, also around 450 nanometers.
A reaction center and light capturing complex together are called a _______.
Photosystem
What does the Calvin Cycle reduce CO2 to, and how many times must the cycle take place for this to happen?
G3P, and it must happen 3 times
What type of organism performs photosynthesis?
Autotrophs (or plants)
Thylakoids form stacks known as _____ and contain _______.
Grana and chlorophyll
What are the three types of pigments involved in photosynthesis, and what are their colors?
Chlorophyll a: bluish-green
Chlorophyll b: yellowish-green
Carotenoids: yellow/orange
Photosystem 1 works with what wavelength of light?
700 nm
What are the three phases of the Calvin Cycle?
Carbon fixation
Reduction
Regeneration of RuBP
What is the difference between an autotroph and heterotroph?
Autotrophs can make their own food; heterotrophs can't.
What are the inputs and outputs of photosynthesis (in general)?
In: light, carbon dioxide, and water
Out: glucose (sugar) and oxygen
How does energy relate to wavelength of light?
The shorter the wavelength, the higher the energy.
What is the order that photosystems go through?
Photosystem 2 to photosystem 1
For the reduction phase, how many net gain of G3P is there?
1 (the other 5 go into regenerating RuBP)
What type of organism initiated photosynthesis?
Cyanobacteria (probably)
What gets reduced, and what gets oxidized in photosynthesis?
Carbon dioxide gets reduced to glucose, while water gets oxidized to oxygen
Where, specifically, do the light reactions happen?
Thylakoid membrane
What is the goal of the two photosystems?
Electron transfer down a chain to build energy needed for the Calvin cycle
What are the inputs and outputs of the Calvin Cycle?
In: 3 CO2, 9 ATP, 6 NADPH
Out: 1 G3P, 9 ADP, 6 NADP+
What kind of reaction is photosynthesis?
Redox reaction or oxidation/reduction reaction.
What are the two stages of photosynthesis?
The light cycle and the Calvin cycle (or, light and dark reactions).
What are the two energy molecules in photosynthesis?
ATP and NADPH
What are the inputs and outputs of the two photosystems?
In: ADP, H2O, and NADP+
Out: O2, NADPH, and ATP
What are the three types of plant adaptations?
C3, C4, and CAM