5.5 Photosynthesis

• Plants need energy for things like photosynthesis, active transport, DNA replication, cell division and protein synthesis.
• Metabolic pathway - A series of small reactions controlled by enzymes e.g. respiration and photosynthesis.
• Phosphorylation - Adding phosphate to a molecule.
• Photophosphrylation - Adding phosphate ro a molecule using light.
• Photolysis - The splitting of a molecule using light energy.
• Hydrolysis - The splitting of a molecule using water.
• Decarboxylation - The removal of carbon dioxide from a molecule.
• Dehydrogenation - The removal of hydrogen from a molecule.
• Redox Reactions - Reactions that involve oxidation and reduction.
• If something is reduced it has gained electrons and may have gained hydrogen or lost oxygen.
• If something is oxidised it has lost electrons, and may have lost hydorgen or gained oxygen.
• A conenzyme is a molecule that aids the function of an enzyme. The usually work by transferring a chemical group from one molecule to another.
• A coenzyme used to photosynthesis is NADP which transfers hydrogen from one molecule to another this means it can preform redox reactions.