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Glite Dictionary
photophosphorylation

photophosphorylation

9.9
A process in plants and some bacteria that uses light to make the energy molecule ATP
  • noun
  • /ˌfoʊtoʊˌfɑːsfəˈrɪleɪʃən/
  • Specialized
translation icon : fotofosforilación
  • During photophosphorylation, plants convert light energy into chemical energy.

Examples

  • The process of photophosphorylation occurs in the thylakoid membranes.

  • During photosynthesis, plants utilize light energy to drive photophosphorylation and produce ATP.

  • In chloroplast thylakoid membranes, photophosphorylation produces ATP during the light-dependent reactions.

  • Scientists study photophosphorylation to better understand how plants convert sunlight into chemical energy.

  • Without photophosphorylation, plants would not be able to produce the ATP needed for growth.

  • In the process of photophosphorylation, chloroplasts convert sunlight into chemical energy.

  • Scientists study photophosphorylation to understand how plants generate energy from light.

Synonyms

light reaction
vsphotophosphorylation
  • Specialized
5.9

The first stage in plants' use of light to make energy molecules

focuses only on producing ATP from light rather than other energy compounds

Surface Forms

photophosphorylation singular
photophosphorylations plural

Morphology

photophosphorylation = phosphorylation (opaque) = photo + phosphoryl + ation

The term is formed by adding 'photo-' to the technical noun 'phosphorylation', but the biochemical process is not easily inferable for an average learner.

Etymology

The word photophosphorylation begins with photo- meaning 'light', as in photograph, and ends with phosphorylation, which means 'adding a phosphate', a small chemical part cells use to store energy. So photophosphorylation is the process where light helps add phosphate to make ATP, the molecule cells use for energy.