Table of Contents
What are chloroplasts stacks of?
Each chloroplast contains neat stacks called grana (singular, granum). The grana consist of sac-like membranes, known as thylakoid membranes. These membranes contain photosystems, which are groups of molecules that include chlorophyll, a green pigment.
What happens in the thylakoid stacks of a chloroplast?
Reactions performed in the thylakoid include water photolysis, the electron transport chain, and ATP synthesis. Photosynthetic pigments (e.g., chlorophyll) are embedded into the thylakoid membrane, making it the site of the light-dependent reactions in photosynthesis.
Is a stack of thylakoids?
A granum (plural grana) is a stack of thylakoid discs. Chloroplasts can have from 10 to 100 grana. Grana are connected by stroma thylakoids, also called intergranal thylakoids or lamellae.
Why are thylakoids in stacks?
It is the site of a light-dependent process of photosynthesis. Thylakoids are arranged in stacks of disks called granules present on the surface of the stroma. Thus, when thylakoids are stacked, it increases the surface area which allows more electron transport chains to be embedded into the thylakoid membrane.
What is group of thylakoids called?
Why are there so many thylakoid membranes stacked so close together in a chloroplast?
A chloroplast consists of thylakoid membranes surrounded by stroma. The thylakoids stack on top of each other, like a stack of pancakes. The thylakoid stacks arrange chlorophyll, accessory pigment molecules, and photosynthetic proteins to capture sunlight and allow a concentration of ions within the sacs.
What is the name of thylakoid membrane?
The thylakoid membranes of a chloroplast is an internal system of interconnected membranes, that carry out the light reactions of photosynthesis. They are arranged into stacked and unstacked regions called grana and stroma thylakoids, respectively, that are differentially enriched in photosystem I and II complexes.