Cellular Energy Vocabulary List

Photosynthesis

process by which plants use the sun's energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into sugars

Cellular respiration

the process of breaking down food to yield energy

Kinetic energy

energy of motion

Potential energy

stored energy

Thermal energy

the total kinetic and potential energy of all the particles in a substance

Chemical energy

that part of the energy in a substance that can be released by a chemical reaction

Calorie

unit of heat defined as the quantity of heat required to raise the temperature of 1 gram of water by 1 degree centigrade at atmospheric pressure

Luminescence

emission of light without heat.

ATP

(adenosine triphosphate) main energy source that cells use for most of their work

ADP

A molecule that can be converted into ATP through the addition of a phosphate; what ATP becomes when it loses a phosphate

Aerobic respiration

respiration that requires oxygen

Electron transport chain

series of molecules through which electrons are passed to make ATP

Metabolism

the organic processes (in a cell or organism) that are necessary for life

Glycoloysis

first step in releasing the energy of glucose. In which a molecule of glucose is broken into two molecules of pyruvic acid

Krebs cycle

a series of biochemical reactions that convert pyruvic acid into carbon dioxide and water; it is the major pathway of oxidation in animal, bacterial, and plant cells, and it releases energy

ATP synthase

large protein that uses energy from H+ ions to bind ADP and a phosphate group together to produce ATP

Glucose

a monosaccharide sugar that has several forms

Fermentation

the process by which cells break down molecules to release energy without using oxygen

Anaerobic respiration

series of ATP producing reactions that do not require oxygen

Chloroplast

organelle found in cells of plants and some other organisms that captures the energy from sunlight and converts it into chemical energy which powers the photosynthesis

Chlorophyll

small pigment in plants that absorbs light energy used to carry out photosynthesis

Stroma

the dense colorless framework of a chloroplast

Thylakoid

A flattened membrane sac inside the chloroplast, used to convert light energy into chemical energy.

Granum

a stack of thylakoids

Epidermis

outermost layer of the skin

Xylem

the vascular tissue through which water and nutrients move through plants

Phloem

tissue that conducts synthesized food substances to parts where needed

Stoma

found in the leaves and stem of the plants where gas goes in and out

Light-independent reactions

a chemical reaction that converts carbon dioxide and other in to glucose

Light-dependent reactions

a chemical reaction which convert light energy into chemical energy in ATP and NADPH

Wavelength

the distance between two points, either peak to peak or the trough to trough of waves

Electromagnetic spectrum

the entire frequency range of electromagnetic radiation

Pigment

it changes the color of a reflected light