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Photophosphorylation 2 definitions

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  • Chloroplast
    Organelle with convoluted inner structures hosting electron transport chains and ATP synthesis during photosynthesis.
  • Stroma
    Goopy fluid filling the chloroplast, surrounding thylakoids and serving as the site for certain metabolic reactions.
  • Thylakoid
    Membranous infolding within chloroplasts containing a lumen, where light-dependent reactions occur.
  • Lumen
    Internal space of thylakoids, crucial for establishing the proton gradient during light reactions.
  • Photosystem
    Protein and pigment complex embedded in thylakoid membranes, composed of light-harvesting and reaction center regions.
  • Light-harvesting Complex
    Outer portion of a photosystem, rich in photopigments, functioning as an antenna to capture and relay light energy.
  • Reaction Center
    Interior region of a photosystem containing special pigments and electron carriers, site of electron excitation and ejection.
  • Resonance Energy Transfer
    Special energy relay mechanism where excited electrons transfer energy to neighboring pigments without direct electron movement.
  • Electron Transport Chain
    Series of carriers in thylakoid membranes that shuttle electrons, facilitating proton pumping and energy conversion.
  • Proton Gradient
    Difference in proton concentration across the thylakoid membrane, driving ATP synthesis via chemiosmosis.
  • ATP Synthase
    Enzyme complex powered by the proton gradient, responsible for producing ATP during light reactions.
  • NADPH
    Reduced electron carrier generated in light reactions, later used in the Calvin cycle for carbon fixation.
  • Ferredoxin
    Protein acting as an electron shuttle, involved in both cyclic and non-cyclic electron flow during photosynthesis.
  • Cytochrome Complex
    Protein assembly in the electron transport chain that pumps protons, contributing to the proton gradient.
  • Pheophytin
    Pigment in the reaction center similar to chlorophyll but lacking magnesium, functioning as an electron carrier.