Energy within light is captured and used to synthesize carbohydrates

Organelle in plants and algae that carries out photosynthesis

Majority of photosynthesis occurs internally in leaves, in the mesophyll

Carbon dioxide enters and oxygen exits leaf through pores called stomata

Outer and inner membrane separated by intermembrane space

A third membrane, the thylakoid membrane contains

Fluid filled region between thylakoid membrane and inner membrane is the stroma

Occurs in stroma

Uses ATP and NADPH to incorporate CO2 into carbohydrate

Leaves are green because they absorb red and violet, and reflect green wavelengths

Wavelength of light that a pigment absorbs depends on the amount of energy needed to boost an electron to a higher orbital

Pigments absorb some light energy and reflect others - Having different pigments allows plants to absorb light at many different wavelengths

Evolved a mechanism to minimize respiration

C4 plants make oxaloacetate (4 carbon molecule) in the first step of carbon fixation

CO2 enters via stomata and 4 carbon compound formed (PEP carboxylase does not promote photorespiration)

4 carbon molecule transferred that releases steady supply of CO2, minimizing photorespiration

Some C4 plants separate processes using time

Stomata close during the day to conserve water

Malate broken down into CO2 to drive Calvin cycle during the day

Light-harvesting complex (or antenna complex)

Energy transferred via resonance energy transfer

P680* is relatively unstable, so energy is transferred quickly

Electron transfers to primary electron acceptor and captured

Water is oxidized to replace the electron on P680+, producing oxygen gas in the process