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Introduction to Photosynthesis definitions

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  • Photosynthesis
    Process in chloroplasts using sunlight, CO2, and water to produce glucose and oxygen, essential for autotrophs.
  • Chloroplast
    Green organelle serving as the site where sunlight energy is converted into chemical energy during photosynthesis.
  • Autotroph
    Organism capable of producing its own food from inorganic substances, typically through photosynthesis.
  • Glucose
    Six-carbon sugar (C6H12O6) synthesized during photosynthesis, serving as a primary energy source for cells.
  • Oxygen
    Gaseous byproduct released during photosynthesis, essential for aerobic respiration in most organisms.
  • Carbon Dioxide
    Atmospheric gas (CO2) used as a reactant in photosynthesis, reduced to form glucose.
  • Water
    Molecule (H2O) serving as a reactant in photosynthesis, oxidized to release oxygen.
  • Redox Reaction
    Chemical process involving electron transfer, with one substance oxidized and another reduced, central to photosynthesis.
  • Oxidation
    Loss of electrons from a molecule, as seen when water is converted to oxygen during photosynthesis.
  • Reduction
    Gain of electrons by a molecule, exemplified by the conversion of carbon dioxide to glucose.
  • Cellular Respiration
    Metabolic pathway in mitochondria converting glucose and oxygen into carbon dioxide, water, and ATP.
  • Mitochondria
    Organelle where cellular respiration occurs, using glucose and oxygen to generate ATP energy.
  • ATP
    Energy-carrying molecule produced during cellular respiration, powering cellular activities.
  • Solar Energy
    Sunlight energy harnessed by chloroplasts to drive the synthesis of glucose in photosynthesis.
  • Chemical Equation
    Symbolic representation showing reactants and products in processes like photosynthesis and cellular respiration.