Define Thylakoid
Disc-like sacs, contain the chlorophyll that absorbs light energy to start photosynthesis
Thylakoids are flattened, sac-like membranous structures inside the chloroplasts of photosynthetic organisms such as plants, algae, and cyanobacteria. They are the site of the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis that convert light energy into chemical energy in the form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate) and NADPH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate). Thylakoids are stacked in columns called grana, which increase the surface area available for light absorption and electron transport. The pigments in the thylakoid membranes, such as chlorophyll, carotenoids, and phycobilins, absorb different wavelengths of light and transfer the energy to the photosystems, where it is used to generate ATP and NADPH. Thylakoids also contain the enzyme ATP synthase, which harnesses the energy of the proton gradient generated by electron transport to produce ATP.
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