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Photosynthesis Key Vocabulary: Frayer Model

Key Vocab Words · Grade 7 · English

Photosynthesis Key Vocabulary: Frayer Model

1. Photosynthesis

Definition: Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants use sunlight to make their own food from carbon dioxide and water.
Characteristics:
  • Occurs in the chloroplasts of plant cells
  • Requires sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide
  • Produces glucose (sugar) and oxygen
Examples:
  • Leaves of a tree converting sunlight to food
  • Algae in a pond making sugar
Non-examples:
  • Animals eating food for energy
  • Fungi absorbing nutrients from decaying matter


2. Chlorophyll

Definition: Chlorophyll is the green pigment in plants that captures energy from sunlight for photosynthesis.
Characteristics:
  • Gives plants their green color
  • Found inside chloroplasts
  • Absorbs light energy, especially from the sun
Examples:
  • The green color of grass
  • The pigment in spinach leaves
Non-examples:
  • Hemoglobin in animal blood
  • The color white in flower petals


3. Glucose

Definition: Glucose is a simple sugar made by plants during photosynthesis, used as an energy source.
Characteristics:
  • Chemical formula is C6H12O6
  • Provides energy for growth and activities
  • Stored as starch in plants
Examples:
  • Sugar found in fruits
  • The energy source for plant cells
Non-examples:
  • Proteins in meat
  • Fats/oils in seeds


4. Chloroplast

Definition: A chloroplast is an organelle in plant cells where photosynthesis takes place.
Characteristics:
  • Contains chlorophyll
  • Found mainly in leaf cells
  • Converts sunlight into chemical energy
Examples:
  • The small green structures in a plant cell diagram
  • Where glucose is made in leaves
Non-examples:
  • Mitochondria (another organelle)
  • Nucleus of the cell


5. Stomata

Definition: Stomata are tiny openings on the undersides of leaves that let gases like carbon dioxide and oxygen move in and out.
Characteristics:
  • Usually found on the lower surface of the leaf
  • Open and close to control gas exchange
  • Help prevent water loss
Examples:
  • Pores visible under a microscope on a leaf
  • Pathways for carbon dioxide to enter a plant
Non-examples:
  • Plant roots (take in water, not air)
  • Veins in leaves (which transport water and nutrients)