EXAM Q’S AND A’S
photosynthesis - answer- process by which plants and some other organisms use
light energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into oxygen and high-energy
carbohydrates such as sugars and starches
autotroph - answer- organism that can capture energy from sunlight or chemicals
and use it to produce its own food from inorganic compounds; also called a producer
heterotroph - answer- organism that obtains energy from the foods it consumes; also
called a consumer
mesophyll - answer- specialized ground tissue that makes up the bulk of most
leaves; performs most of a plant's photosynthesis
stomata - answer- the small openings on the undersides of most leaves through
which oxygen and carbon dioxide can move
stroma - answer- thick fluid contained in the inner membrane of a chloroplast
thylakoid - answer- A flattened membrane sac inside the chloroplast, used to convert
light energy into chemical energy.
granum - answer- A stack of membrane-bounded thylakoids in the chloroplast.
Grana function in the light reactions of photosynthesis.
chlorophyll - answer- principal pigment of plants and other photosynthetic organisms;
captures light energy
photophosphorylation - answer- The process of generating ATP from ADP and
phosphate by means of a proton-motive force generated by the thylakoid membrane
of the chloroplast during the light reactions of photosynthesis
carbon fixation - answer- photosynthetic reaction in which carbon dioxide is attached
to an organic compound
wavelength - answer- The distance between crests of waves, such as those of the
electromagnetic spectrum.
electromagnetic spectrum - answer- all of the frequencies or wavelengths of
electromagnetic radiation
visible light - answer- 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.