5.6

• Photosynthesis

  Reaction in which light energy is used to split apart the strong bonds in water molecules in a process of photolysis in order to combine hydrogen with carbon dioxide to produce fuel in the form of glucose, oxygen is a waste product of this reaction and is released into the atmosphere
• Chloroplasts

  • Site of photosynthesis, contain stacks of thylakoid membranes called grana which contain the photosynthetic pigments like chlorophyll, arranged as photosystems, contain stroma which has the enzymes required for the light-independent stage of photosynthesis

  
• Absorption Spectrum


  The range of different wavelengths of light that a photosynthetic pigment absorbs
• Action Spectrum


  The rate of photosynthesis against the wavelength of light absorbed
• Photosynthetic pigments


  • Chlorophyll a (blue-green)
  • Chlorophyll b (yellow-green)
  • Carotene (orange)
  • Xanthophyll (yellow)
  • Phaeophytin (grey)