Review Questions for Photosynthesis and Cellular Respiration
(CP Chapter 8 and 9; Honors Chapter 4 and 5)

Use these to help you make your flashcards.

Autotrophs & Heterotrophs

  • What is an autotroph? How does it obtain energy?
  • What is a heterotroph? How does it obtain energy?
  • If you trace all energy back to its ultimate source, what is it?

Energy Carrier Molecules

  • What is an energy carrier molecule?
  • What is the structure of ATP?
  • How is ADP turned into ATP?
  • How is NAD turned into NADH?
  • How is NADP turned into NADPH?

Photosynthesis

  • What is the formula for photosynthesis?
  • What is the catabolic part of photosynthesis?
  • What is the anabolic part of photosynthesis?

Discovery of Photosynthesis (college prep)

  • What key experiments led to the discovery of the parts of photosynthesis?
  • Which scientists conducted each experiment, and when?

Chloroplasts

  • What is the structure of chloroplasts? Which parts are made of membrane?
  • What are thylakoids, grana, and stroma?
  • Where does the light dependent reactions occur in chloroplasts?
  • Where does the Calvin Cycle occur in chloroplasts?

Chlorophyll

  • What is chlorophyll?
  • Where is it located in chloroplasts?
  • What role does it play in photosynthesis?

Light Dependent Reactions

  • What are the steps of the light dependent reactions of photosynthesis?
  • Where do they occur in the chloroplasts?
  • How are NADPH and ATP synthesized? Where does the energy come from?
  • What happens to the oxygen, hydrogen, and electrons of water after it is split?
  • Why are hydrogens pumped into the thylakoid space?
  • During which steps do the electrons have high energy (excited, charged) and during which steps do they have low energy (uncharged)?
  • How does ATP synthase work?

Calvin Cycle

  • What molecules enter the Calvin Cycle and what molecules exit it?
  • How much energy is input into the Calvin Cycle? Where does this energy come from?
  • How many carbons are there in a molecule of carbon dioxide?
  • How many carbon dioxide molecules are needed to produce one glucose molecule?
  • What is the structure of glucose?
  • How does the amount of energy stored in each of the molecules formed during the Calvin Cycle compare to those of the other molecules? That is, at each step, was energy lost from or absorbed into the compound to increase or decrease the amount of energy stored in its bonds?

C4 and CAM (honors only)

  • You do not need to know the details of how these work, but you should know the type of environment in which each of these has evolved

Cellular Respiration

  • What is cellular respiration?
  • What is the chemical formula for cellular respiration?
  • What are the main steps? Where in the cell does each step occur?
  • How many ATP are produced per glucose during cellular respiration? How does this compare to the total energy stored in glucose?
  • Why is glucose broken down via many small reactions rather than all at once via one large reaction?
  • What happens to the energy released during the many steps of cellular respiration?
  • Which process plays a large role in the production of cheeses, beer, wine, and other foods?

Glycoloysis

  • What is glycolysis? Where does it occur in cells? Which cells do it?
  • What molecules enter this process and what products come out?
  • Why is the net gain of ATP from glycolysis 2 ATP and not 4 ATP?
  • How does the amount of energy stored in each carbon compound at each stage of glycolysis differ from that of the carbon compounds in the steps before and after it?
  • What happens to the pyruvate formed during glycolysis?

Fermentation

  • What is fermentation? Where does it occur in cells? Which cells do it?
  • What type of fermentation happens in humans? Where and why does this take over for aerobic respiration at times?
  • Why should you do light exercise if you have soar muscles the day after hard exercise?

Aerobic Respiration

  • What key substance is required for aerobic respiration?
  • Which cell types do aerobic respiration?
  • Where does it take place in cells?
  • What are the four main steps of aerobic respiration?

Carbon-Oxygen Cycle

  • Which organisms release carbon dioxide into the air? Why do they produce it?
  • Which organisms absorb carbon dioxide from the air? What do they do with it?
  • Which organisms release oxygen into the air? Why do they produce it?
  • Which organisms absorb oxygen from the air? What do they do with it?