| Term | Definition |
|---|
| Photosynthesis | The conversion of light energy to chemical energy that is stored in glucose or other organic compounds; occurs in plants, algae, and certain prokaryotes. |
| Autotroph | An organism that obtains organic food molecules without eating other organisms or substances derived from other organisms. Autotrophs use energy from the sun or from the oxidation of inorganic substances to make organic molecules from inorganic ones. |
| Heterotroph | An organism that obtains organic food molecules by eating other organisms or their by–products. |
| Chlorophyll | A green pigment located within the chloroplasts of plants. Chlorophyll a can participate directly in the light reactions, which convert solar energy to chemical energy. |
| Mesophyll | The ground tissue of a leaf, sandwiched between the upper and lower epidermis and specialized for photosynthesis. |
| Stoma | A microscopic pore surrounded by guard cells in the epidermis of leaves and stems that allows gas exchange between the environment and the interior of the plant. |
| Stroma | The fluid of the chloroplast surrounding the thylakoid membrane; involved in the synthesis of organic molecules from carbon dioxide and water. |
| Thylakoid | A flattened membrane sac inside the chloroplast, used to convert light energy to chemical energy. |
| Light reactions | The steps in photosynthesis that occur on the thylakoid membranes of the chloroplast and that convert solar energy to the chemical energy of ATP and NADPH, evolving oxygen in the process. |
| Calvin cycle | The second of two major stages in photosynthesis (following the light reactions), involving atmospheric CO 2 fixation and reduction of the fixed carbon into carbohydrate. |
| Carbon fixation | The incorporation of carbon from CO 2 into an organic compound by an autotrophic organism (a plant, another photosynthetic organism, or a chemoautotrophic prokaryote). |
| Wavelength | The distance between crests of waves, such as those of the electromagnetic spectrum. |
| Visible light | That portion of the electromagnetic spectrum detected as various colors by the human eye, ranging in wavelength from about 380 nm to about 750 nm. |
| Chlorophyll A | A type of blue–green photosynthetic pigment that participates directly in the light reactions. |
| Chlorophyll B | A type of yellow–green accessory photosynthetic pigment that transfers energy to chlorophyll a . |
| Photosystem | Light–capturing unit located in the thylakoid membrane of the chloroplast, consisting of a reaction center surrounded by numerous light–harvesting complexes. There are two types of photosystems, I and II; they absorb light best at different wavelengths. |
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