Grana

/ˈɡrænə/ noun

Definition

Plural of granum; in plant biology, stacks of flattened, disc-shaped structures (thylakoids) found in chloroplasts where photosynthesis occurs.

Etymology

From Latin 'granum' (grain), plural 'grana'; applied to these structures because they resemble tiny grains when viewed under an electron microscope.

Kelly Says

Inside every green leaf, grana are the tiny factories running one of Earth's most important chemical reactions—converting sunlight into chemical energy that feeds almost all life on the planet.

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