Concept 8.1

Summary: 

-Plants have chloroplasts which contain chemical compounds called chlorophylls in order to perform photosynthesis.

-Photosynthesis is when plants take carbon dioxide and water, and turn it into glucose and oxygen.

-The ligh reactions convert thermal energy from the sun into chemical energy.

-The Calvin Cycle makes sugars from atoms in carbon dioxide and the hydrogen ions along with the high-energy electrons.

Vocabulary:

Chloroplast - The cellualar organelle in plants where photosynthesis takes place.

Chlorophylls - Chemical compounds contained in chloroplasts that give it its green colour.

Stroma - The thick fluid in the inner membrane of the chloroplast.

Thylakoids - Disk-like sacs in the the chloroplast that organize complex chemical reactions.

Light reactions - Reactions that occur in the chloroplast that turn sunlight into chemical energy.

Calvin Cycle - The cycle in the chloroplast that converts carbon dioxide and water into sugar and oxygen.

Concept Check:

1.     

2.  The reactants of photosynthesis are water and carbon dioxide and the products are oxygen and glucose.

3.  The two main stages of photosynthesis are the light reactions and the Calvin cycle.