ENCYCLOPEDIC ENTRY

Photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis is the process by which plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to create oxygen and energy in the form of sugar.

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Learning materials, instructional links.

  • Photosynthesis (Google doc)

Most life on Earth depends on photosynthesis .The process is carried out by plants, algae, and some types of bacteria, which capture energy from sunlight to produce oxygen (O 2 ) and chemical energy stored in glucose (a sugar). Herbivores then obtain this energy by eating plants, and carnivores obtain it by eating herbivores.

The process

During photosynthesis, plants take in carbon dioxide (CO 2 ) and water (H 2 O) from the air and soil. Within the plant cell, the water is oxidized, meaning it loses electrons, while the carbon dioxide is reduced, meaning it gains electrons. This transforms the water into oxygen and the carbon dioxide into glucose. The plant then releases the oxygen back into the air, and stores energy within the glucose molecules.

Chlorophyll

Inside the plant cell are small organelles called chloroplasts , which store the energy of sunlight. Within the thylakoid membranes of the chloroplast is a light-absorbing pigment called chlorophyll , which is responsible for giving the plant its green color. During photosynthesis , chlorophyll absorbs energy from blue- and red-light waves, and reflects green-light waves, making the plant appear green.

Light-dependent Reactions vs. Light-independent Reactions

While there are many steps behind the process of photosynthesis, it can be broken down into two major stages: light-dependent reactions and light-independent reactions. The light-dependent reaction takes place within the thylakoid membrane and requires a steady stream of sunlight, hence the name light- dependent reaction. The chlorophyll absorbs energy from the light waves, which is converted into chemical energy in the form of the molecules ATP and NADPH . The light-independent stage, also known as the Calvin cycle , takes place in the stroma , the space between the thylakoid membranes and the chloroplast membranes, and does not require light, hence the name light- independent reaction. During this stage, energy from the ATP and NADPH molecules is used to assemble carbohydrate molecules, like glucose, from carbon dioxide.

C3 and C4 Photosynthesis

Not all forms of photosynthesis are created equal, however. There are different types of photosynthesis, including C3 photosynthesis and C4 photosynthesis. C3 photosynthesis is used by the majority of plants. It involves producing a three-carbon compound called 3-phosphoglyceric acid during the Calvin Cycle, which goes on to become glucose. C4 photosynthesis, on the other hand, produces a four-carbon intermediate compound, which splits into carbon dioxide and a three-carbon compound during the Calvin Cycle. A benefit of C4 photosynthesis is that by producing higher levels of carbon, it allows plants to thrive in environments without much light or water. The National Geographic Society is making this content available under a Creative Commons CC-BY-NC-SA license . The License excludes the National Geographic Logo (meaning the words National Geographic + the Yellow Border Logo) and any images that are included as part of each content piece. For clarity the Logo and images may not be removed, altered, or changed in any way.

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Explainer: how photosynthesis works.

Plants make sugar and oxygen with the power of water, carbon dioxide and sunlight

green leaves lit up from behind with sunlight

Green plants take in light from the sun and turn water and carbon dioxide into the oxygen we breathe and the sugars we eat.

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By Bethany Brookshire

October 28, 2020 at 6:30 am

Take a deep breath. Then thank a plant. If you eat fruit, vegetables, grains or potatoes, thank a plant too.  Plants and algae provide us with the oxygen we need to survive, as well as the carbohydrates we use for energy. They do it all through photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis is the process of creating sugar and oxygen from carbon dioxide, water and sunlight. It happens through a long series of chemical reactions. But it can be summarized like this: Carbon dioxide, water and light go in. Glucose, water and oxygen come out. (Glucose is a simple sugar.)

Photosynthesis can be split into two processes. The “photo” part refers to reactions triggered by light. “Synthesis” — the making of the sugar — is a separate process called the Calvin cycle.

Both processes happen inside a chloroplast. This is a specialized structure, or organelle, in a plant cell. The structure contains stacks of membranes called thylakoid membranes. That’s where the light reaction begins.

a diagram showing the inside of a chloroplast

Let the light shine in

When light hits a plant’s leaves, it shines on chloroplasts and into their thylakoid membranes. Those membranes are filled with chlorophyll , a green pigment. This pigment absorbs light energy. Light travels as electromagnetic waves . The wavelength — distance between waves — determines energy level. Some of those wavelengths are visible to us as the colors we see . If a molecule, such as chlorophyll, has the right shape, it can absorb the energy from some wavelengths of light.

Chlorophyll can absorb light we see as blue and red. That’s why we see plants as green. Green is the wavelength plants reflect, not the color they absorb.

While light travels as a wave, it also can be a particle called a photon . Photons have no mass. They do, however, have a small amount of light energy.

When a photon of light from the sun bounces into a leaf, its energy excites a chlorophyll molecule. That photon starts a process that splits a molecule of water. The oxygen atom that splits off from the water instantly bonds with another, creating a molecule of oxygen, or O 2 . The chemical reaction also produces a molecule called ATP and another molecule called NADPH. Both of these allow a cell to store energy. The ATP and NADPH also will take part in the synthesis part of photosynthesis.

Notice that the light reaction makes no sugar. Instead, it supplies energy — stored in the ATP and NADPH — that gets plugged into the Calvin cycle. This is where sugar is made.

But the light reaction does produce something we use: oxygen. All the oxygen we breathe is the result of this step in photosynthesis, carried out by plants and algae (which are not plants ) the world over.

Give me some sugar

The next step takes the energy from the light reaction and applies it to a process called the Calvin cycle. The cycle is named for Melvin Calvin, the man who discovered it.

The Calvin cycle is sometimes also called the dark reaction because none of its steps require light. But it still happens during the day. That’s because it needs the energy produced by the light reaction that comes before it.

While the light reaction takes place in the thylakoid membranes, the ATP and NADPH it produces end up in the stroma. This is the space inside the chloroplast but outside the thylakoid membranes.

The Calvin cycle has four major steps:

  • carbon fixation : Here, the plant brings in CO 2 and attaches it to another carbon molecule, using rubisco. This is an enzyme , or chemical that makes reactions move faster. This step is so important that rubisco is the most common protein in a chloroplast — and on Earth. Rubisco attaches the carbon in CO 2 to a five-carbon molecule called ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate (or RuBP). This creates a six-carbon molecule, which immediately splits into two chemicals, each with three carbons.
  • reduction : The ATP and NADPH from the light reaction pop in and transform the two three-carbon molecules into two small sugar molecules. The sugar molecules are called G3P. That’s short for glyceraldehyde 3-phosphate (GLIH- sur-AAL-duh-hide 3-FOS-fayt).
  • carbohydrate formation : Some of that G3P leaves the cycle to be converted into bigger sugars such as glucose (C 6 H 12 O 6 ).
  • regeneration : With more ATP from the continuing light reaction, leftover G3P picks up two more carbons to become RuBP. This RuBP pairs up with rubisco again. They are now ready to start the Calvin cycle again when the next molecule of CO 2 arrives.

At the end of photosynthesis, a plant ends up with glucose (C 6 H 12 O 6 ), oxygen (O 2 ) and water (H 2 O). The glucose molecule goes on to bigger things. It can become part of a long-chain molecule, such as cellulose; that’s the chemical that makes up cell walls. Plants also can store the energy packed in a glucose molecule within larger starch molecules. They can even put the glucose into other sugars — such as fructose — to make a plant’s fruit sweet.

All of these molecules are carbohydrates — chemicals containing carbon, oxygen and hydrogen. (CarbOHydrate makes it easy to remember.) The plant uses the bonds in these chemicals to store energy. But we use the these chemicals too. Carbohydrates are an important part of the foods we eat, particularly grains, potatoes, fruits and vegetables.

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  • Biology Article

Photosynthesis Process

Table of Contents

Introduction

Photosynthesis process overview, light dependent reaction, light independent reaction, process of photosynthesis step by step.

“Photosynthesis is the process by which photoautotrophs convert light energy into chemical energy which can later be used as a fuel for the activities of organisms.”

The photosynthesis process requires three crucial elements to function: Water, carbon dioxide and light. If any of these elements are absent, then the process may be hindered.

The actual process occurs during the day and two inter-related phases are involved in the process:

This reaction requires sunlight to produce energy molecules (ATP & NADPH). Moreover, photosynthesis increases with more photons (light) and consequently, more energy molecules are produced.

Essentially, the light-independent reaction uses the energy molecules produced by the light-dependent reaction to produce even more energy molecules.

The sunlight is absorbed by the chlorophyll in the leaves of the plants. Carbon dioxide enters the plant through structures called the stomata, which are usually found on the underside of the leaves. Water is absorbed through the roots of the plant.

The light-dependent reaction occurs during the day. At this stage, water is spilt into its elements – oxygen and hydrogen ions. Then, the ions go through a series of electron carriers, eventually leading to the accumulation of hydrogen ions. As electrons get transferred from one electron carrier to another, energy is released. In this case, ATP & NADPH are released.

The light Independent reaction uses the energy produced during light depending on the reaction to transform carbon dioxide into glucose. The transformation from carbon dioxide to glucose requires a few reactions. The same molecule produces glucose during this process.

The lower parts of the leaves have rather “spaced out” cells. This structure permits carbon dioxide to permeate into other parts of the leaves, thereby facilitating the release of oxygen.

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Frequently Asked Questions

1. what happens during the photosynthesis process.

During the photosynthesis process, light energy gets converted into chemical energy, which is later used as fuel.

2. What are the two important reactions that occur during the photosynthesis process?

The two reactions that occur during the photosynthesis process are light-dependent reactions and light-independent reaction.

3. What are the two main products released during the photosynthesis process?

ATP & NADPH

4. What are the three crucial elements required for the photosynthesis process to occur?

Water, carbon dioxide and sunlight.

Further Reading:  What is photosynthesis? Complete Overview

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AP®︎/College Biology

Course: ap®︎/college biology   >   unit 3.

  • Photosynthesis
  • Intro to photosynthesis
  • Breaking down photosynthesis stages
  • Conceptual overview of light dependent reactions

The light-dependent reactions

  • The Calvin cycle
  • Photosynthesis evolution
  • Photosynthesis review

Introduction

  • Plants carry out a form of photosynthesis called oxygenic photosynthesis . In oxygenic photosynthesis, water molecules are split to provide a source of electrons for the electron transport chain, and oxygen gas is released as a byproduct. Plants organize their photosynthetic pigments into two separate complexes called photosystems (photosystems I and II), and they use chlorophylls as their reaction center pigments.
  • Purple sulfur bacteria, in contrast, carry out anoxygenic photosynthesis , meaning that water is not used as an electron source and oxygen gas is not produced. Instead, these bacteria use hydrogen sulfide ( H 2 S ‍   ) as an electron source and produce elemental sulfur as a byproduct. In addition, purple sulfur bacteria have only one photosystem, and they use chlorophyll-like molecules called bacteriochlorophylls as reaction center pigments 1 , 2 , 3 ‍   .

Overview of the light-dependent reactions

  • Light absorption in PSII. When light is absorbed by one of the many pigments in photosystem II, energy is passed inward from pigment to pigment until it reaches the reaction center. There, energy is transferred to P680, boosting an electron to a high energy level. The high-energy electron is passed to an acceptor molecule and replaced with an electron from water. This splitting of water releases the O 2 ‍   we breathe.
  • ATP synthesis. The high-energy electron travels down an electron transport chain, losing energy as it goes. Some of the released energy drives pumping of H + ‍   ions from the stroma into the thylakoid interior, building a gradient. ( H + ‍   ions from the splitting of water also add to the gradient.) As H + ‍   ions flow down their gradient and into the stroma, they pass through ATP synthase, driving ATP production in a process known as chemiosmosis .
  • Light absorption in PSI. The electron arrives at photosystem I and joins the P700 special pair of chlorophylls in the reaction center. When light energy is absorbed by pigments and passed inward to the reaction center, the electron in P700 is boosted to a very high energy level and transferred to an acceptor molecule. The special pair's missing electron is replaced by a new electron from PSII (arriving via the electron transport chain).
  • NADPH formation. The high-energy electron travels down a short second leg of the electron transport chain. At the end of the chain, the electron is passed to NADP + ‍   (along with a second electron from the same pathway) to make NADPH.

What is a photosystem?

Photosystem i vs. photosystem ii.

  • Special pairs. The chlorophyll a special pairs of the two photosystems absorb different wavelengths of light. The PSII special pair absorbs best at 680 nm, while the PSI special absorbs best at 700 nm. Because of this, the special pairs are called P680 and P700 , respectively.
  • Primary acceptor . The special pair of each photosystem passes electrons to a different primary acceptor. The primary electron acceptor of PSII is pheophytin, an organic molecule that resembles chlorophyll, while the primary electron acceptor of PSI is a chlorophyll called A 0 ‍   7 , 8 ‍   .
  • Source of electrons . Once an electron is lost, each photosystem is replenished by electrons from a different source. The PSII reaction center gets electrons from water, while the PSI reaction center is replenished by electrons that flow down an electron transport chain from PSII.

Photosystem II

Electron transport chains and photosystem i, some electrons flow cyclically, attribution:, works cited:.

  • Lodish, H., Berk, A., Zipursky, S. L., Matsudaira, P., Baltimore, D., and Darnell, J. (2000). Molecular analysis of photosystems. In Molecular cell biology (4th ed., section 16.4). New York, NY: W. H. Freeman. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK21484/ .
  • Boundless. (2015, July 21). Anoxygenic photosynthetic bacteria. In Boundless microbiology . Retrieved from https://www.boundless.com/microbiology/textbooks/boundless-microbiology-textbook/microbial-evolution-phylogeny-and-diversity-8/nonproteobacteria-gram-negative-bacteria-105/anoxygenic-photosynthetic-bacteria-551-7338/ .
  • Purple sulfur bacteria. (2015, July 16). Retrieved October 24, 2015 from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Purple_sulfur_bacteria .
  • Soda lake. (2015, September 26). Retrieved October 24, 2015 from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Soda_lake .
  • Gutierrez, R. Bio41 Week 7 Biochemistry Lectures 11 and 12. Bio41. 2009.
  • Berg, J. M., Tymoczko, J. L., and Stryer, L. (2002). Accessory pigments funnel energy into reaction centers. In Biochemistry (5th ed., section 19.5). New York, NY: W. H. Freeman. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22604/ .
  • Pheophytin. (2015, February 11). Retrieved October 28, 2015 from Wikipedia: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Pheophytin .
  • Photosystem I. (2016, June 25). Retrieved from Wikipedia on July 22, 2016: https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Photosystem_I .
  • Berg, J. M., Tymoczko, J. L., and Stryer, L. (2002). Two photosystems generate a proton gradient and NADPH in oxygenic photosynthesis. In Biochemistry (5th ed., section 19.3). New York, NY: W. H. Freeman. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22538/#_A2681_ .
  • Joliot, P. and Johnson, G. N. (2011). Regulation of cyclic and linear electron flow in higher plants. PNAS, 108(32), 13317-13322. http://dx.doi.org/10.1073/pnas.1110189108 .
  • Johnson, Giles N. (2011). Physiology of PSI cyclic electron transport in higher plants. Biochimica et Biophysica Acta - Bioenergetics , 1807 (8), 906-911. http://dx.doi.org/doi:10.1016/j.bbabio.2010.11.009 .
  • Berg, J. M., Tymoczko, J. L., and Stryer, L. (2002). A proton gradient across the thylakoid membrane drives ATP synthesis. In Biochemistry (5th ed., section 19.4). New York, NY: W. H. Freeman. Retrieved from http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/books/NBK22519/ .
  • Takahashi, S., Milward, S. E., Fan, D.-Y., Chow, W. S., and Badger, M. R. (2008). How does cyclic electron flow alleviate photoinhibition in Arabidopsis? Plant Physiology , 149 (3), 1560-1567. http://dx.doi.org/10.1104/pp.108.134122 .

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Great Answer

The Balanced Chemical Equation for Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis Overall Chemical Reaction

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Photosynthesis is the process in plants and certain other organisms that uses the energy from the sun to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose (a sugar) and oxygen.

Here is the balanced equation for the overall reaction:

6 CO 2  + 6 H 2 O → C 6 H 12 O 6  + 6 O 2  

Where: CO 2  = carbon dioxide   H 2 O = water light is required C 6 H 12 O 6  = glucose O 2  = oxygen

Explanation

In words, the equation may be stated as: Six carbon dioxide molecules and six water molecules react to produce one glucose molecule and six oxygen molecules .

The reaction requires energy in the form of light to overcome the activation energy needed for the reaction to proceed. Carbon dioxide and water don't spontaneously convert into glucose and oxygen .

  • What Are the Products of Photosynthesis?
  • Chlorophyll Definition and Role in Photosynthesis
  • Photosynthesis Vocabulary Terms and Definitions
  • Examples of Chemical Reactions in Everyday Life
  • Calvin Cycle Steps and Diagram
  • Examples of 10 Balanced Chemical Equations
  • Photosynthesis Basics - Study Guide
  • What Is the Primary Function of the Calvin Cycle?
  • The Photosynthesis Formula: Turning Sunlight into Energy
  • Chemosynthesis Definition and Examples
  • Synthesis Reaction Definition and Examples
  • Equation for the Reaction Between Baking Soda and Vinegar
  • Chloroplast Function in Photosynthesis
  • Understanding Endothermic and Exothermic Reactions
  • How to Balance Chemical Equations
  • Combustion Reactions in Chemistry
  • Photosynthesis Equation, Process and Stages of Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis Equation

Photosynthesis is the process through which plants, some bacteria, and some protistans use the energy from sunlight to produce glucose . This process also produces carbon dioxide and water as by-products. It releases adenosine triphosphate i.e. ATP by cellular respiration. Also, it forms oxygen. In this topic, we will explain the photosynthesis equation will be explained.

photosynthesis equation

Photosynthesis

Plants generally receive credit for being the base of food chains. Plant-like protists and one-celled organisms containing chloroplasts, hence they make their own contribution to the food chain and the conversion of carbon dioxide to oxygen.

They all perform photosynthesis. The word photosynthesis literally breaks down into photos, which means light and synthesis means composition.

So, photosynthesis means to put together using light. In addition, plants, algae and plant-like protists use sunlight to put together carbon dioxide and water to make sugar.

The Process of Photosynthesis

This process uses the energy of the sun to make the reaction of carbon dioxide and water to form glucose. Carbon dioxide enters the plants through tiny pores in the bottoms of leaves.

Water enters by various means, usually roots, but also by osmosis. The energy of the sun, absorbed by the green chemical chlorophyll, fuels the chemical reaction.

Then it combines the carbon dioxide molecules with the water molecules to form glucose. The glucose can be stored in fruits, roots, and stems of plants.

It can be released through the reverse process of respiration , where oxygen is used to break down the glucose into carbon dioxide and water, and releasing the stored energy.

Stages of Photosynthesis

When chlorophyll absorbs light energy, an electron gains energy and is then excited. The excited electron is transferred to another molecule i.e. acceptor.

The chlorophyll molecule is oxidized further and has a positive charge. Photoactivation of chlorophyll, as a result, split the water molecules and transfer the energy to ATP.

Photosynthesis comprises of two stages. These are a light-dependent reaction and light-independent reactions. The light-dependent reaction uses energy captured from sunlight by the chloroplasts in plant leaves.

It then produces a supply of electrons for the light-independent reactions. The light-independent reactions use energy from the supply of electrons to reduce carbon dioxide and finally produce glucose.

Photosynthesis is a process in which green plants use light energy, carbon dioxide, and water. And it produces glucose, oxygen, and water. Therefore it converts light energy into chemical energy i.e. the glucose for use in the plants.

The reaction for photosynthesis is as given as follows:

\(6CO_{2} + 12H_{2}O \overset{Light}{\rightarrow} 6O_{2} + C_{6}H_{12}O_{6} + 6H_{2}O\)

The reaction is often reduced to:

\(6CO_{2} + 6H_{2}O \overset{Light}{\rightarrow} 6O_{2} + C_{6}H_{12}O_{6}\)

Now, we can break down each piece of the photosynthesis equation.

On the reactants side, we have:

6CO 2 has six molecules of carbon dioxide

12H 2 O has twelve molecules of water

Light Energy has Light from the sun

On the products side, we have:

C 6 H 12 O 6 is glucose

6O 2 is six molecules of oxygen

6H 2 O is six molecules of water

The plant uses Glucose as energy. It releases oxygen and water back into the atmosphere to help other living things. During photosynthesis, plants use light energy to combine carbon dioxide and water to produce glucose, oxygen, and water.

Photosynthesis is very important because it provides plants with the energy they need to survive. It also provides needed oxygen and water back into the atmosphere.

Products of Photosynthesis

Through cellular respiration, it converts the glucose into adenosine triphosphate i.e. ATP. In addition to glucose, this reaction also produces oxygen that the plants release into the atmosphere.

Solved Question for You

Q: Why Photosynthesis is important?

Ans: Photosynthesis is plants taking in water, carbon dioxide, and light to make glucose and oxygen. This is important because each and every living thing needs oxygen to survive. All producers make oxygen and glucose for the secondary consumers and then the carnivores eat animals that eat the plants.

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COMMENTS

  1. Photosynthesis

    photosynthesis, the process by which green plants and certain other organisms transform light energy into chemical energy.During photosynthesis in green plants, light energy is captured and used to convert water, carbon dioxide, and minerals into oxygen and energy-rich organic compounds.. It would be impossible to overestimate the importance of photosynthesis in the maintenance of life on Earth.

  2. Photosynthesis

    Photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is a process by which phototrophs convert light energy into chemical energy, which is later used to fuel cellular activities. The chemical energy is stored in the form of sugars, which are created from water and carbon dioxide. 3,12,343.

  3. Photosynthesis

    Photosynthesis (Google doc) Most life on Earth depends on photosynthesis .The process is carried out by plants, algae, and some types of bacteria, which capture energy from sunlight to produce oxygen (O 2) and chemical energy stored in glucose (a sugar). Herbivores then obtain this energy by eating plants, and carnivores obtain it by eating ...

  4. Intro to photosynthesis (article)

    Photosynthesis is the process in which light energy is converted to chemical energy in the form of sugars. In a process driven by light energy, glucose molecules (or other sugars) are constructed from water and carbon dioxide, and oxygen is released as a byproduct. The glucose molecules provide organisms with two crucial resources: energy and ...

  5. 5.1: Overview of Photosynthesis

    Figure \(\PageIndex{5}\): The process of photosynthesis can be represented by an equation, wherein carbon dioxide and water produce sugar and oxygen using energy from sunlight. Although the equation looks simple, the many steps that take place during photosynthesis are actually quite complex, as in the way that the reaction summarizing cellular ...

  6. 6.6: Photosynthesis

    Photosynthesis is a multi-step process that requires sunlight, carbon dioxide (which is low in energy), and water as substrates (Figure 4). After the process is complete, it releases oxygen and produces glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (GA3P), simple carbohydrate molecules (which are high in energy) that can subsequently be converted into glucose ...

  7. Photosynthesis

    In general outline, photosynthesis is the opposite of cellular respiration: while photosynthesis is a process of reduction of carbon dioxide to carbohydrates, cellular respiration is the oxidation of carbohydrates or other nutrients to carbon dioxide. Nutrients used in cellular respiration include carbohydrates, amino acids and fatty acids.

  8. Explainer: How photosynthesis works

    Photosynthesis is the process of creating sugar and oxygen from carbon dioxide, water and sunlight. It happens through a long series of chemical reactions. But it can be summarized like this: Carbon dioxide, water and light go in. Glucose, water and oxygen come out. (Glucose is a simple sugar.) Photosynthesis can be split into two processes.

  9. 8.1: Overview of Photosynthesis

    Main Structures and Summary of Photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is a multi-step process that requires sunlight, carbon dioxide (which is low in energy), and water as substrates (Figure 8.1.3 8.1. 3 ). After the process is complete, it releases oxygen and produces glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate (GA3P), simple carbohydrate molecules (which are high in ...

  10. Photosynthesis in organisms (article)

    A diagram represents the process of photosynthesis. The top left corner of the diagram shows the sun. Light waves labeled sunlight point from the sun to a green plant in the center of the diagram. A circle labeled sugars magnifies a point on a leaf. The magnified circle shows two line segments with hexagons spaced along them, which represent ...

  11. Photosynthesis- Definition, Equation, Steps, Process, Diagram

    The process of photosynthesis occurs in the thylakoids of chloroplasts. The process of cellular respiration occurs in mitochondria. The reactants of photosynthesis are light energy, carbon dioxide, and water. 6CO 2 + 6H 2 O → C 6 H 12 O 6 + 6O 2. The reactants of cellular respiration are glucose and oxygen.

  12. Photosynthesis

    Photosynthesis Definition. Photosynthesis is the biochemical pathway which converts the energy of light into the bonds of glucose molecules. The process of photosynthesis occurs in two steps. In the first step, energy from light is stored in the bonds of adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate (NADPH).

  13. Understanding Step by Step Process of Photosynthesis in Plants

    Photosynthesis is the process through which plants convert light energy from the sun to chemical energy. During the process of photosynthesis, plants capture light energy and use it to convert water, carbon dioxide, and minerals into oxygen and glucose. Lets have a look at the process of photosynthesis and also explore its importance.

  14. How photosynthesis and its light and dark reactions work

    photosynthesis, Process by which green plants and certain other organisms transform light into chemical energy.In green plants, light energy is captured by chlorophyll in the chloroplasts of the leaves and used to convert water, carbon dioxide, and minerals into oxygen and energy-rich organic compounds (simple and complex sugars) that are the basis of both plant and animal life.

  15. Photosynthesis Process

    Process of Photosynthesis Step by Step. The sunlight is absorbed by the chlorophyll in the leaves of the plants. Carbon dioxide enters the plant through structures called the stomata, which are usually found on the underside of the leaves. Water is absorbed through the roots of the plant. The light-dependent reaction occurs during the day.

  16. Photosynthesis

    Photosynthesis is really important for the plant because it provides the plant with food: some of the glucose is used immediately, to give the plant energy in the process of respiration. some of ...

  17. The Purpose and Process of Photosynthesis

    photosynthesis: the process by which plants and other photoautotrophs generate carbohydrates and oxygen from carbon dioxide, water, and light energy in chloroplasts. photoautotroph: an organism that can synthesize its own food by using light as a source of energy. chemoautotroph: a simple organism, such as a protozoan, that derives its energy ...

  18. Light-dependent reactions (photosynthesis reaction) (article)

    The light-dependent reactions use light energy to make two molecules needed for the next stage of photosynthesis: the energy storage molecule ATP and the reduced electron carrier NADPH. In plants, the light reactions take place in the thylakoid membranes of organelles called chloroplasts.

  19. What is the basic formula for photosynthesis?

    The process of photosynthesis is commonly written as: 6CO 2 + 6H 2 O → C 6 H 12 O 6 + 6O 2.This means that the reactants, six carbon dioxide molecules and six water molecules, are converted by light energy captured by chlorophyll (implied by the arrow) into a sugar molecule and six oxygen molecules, the products. The sugar is used by the organism, and the oxygen is released as a by-product.

  20. The Balanced Chemical Equation for Photosynthesis

    Learn how to write the overall chemical reaction for photosynthesis and explain the chemical process by which plants form glucose and oxygen. ... Photosynthesis is the process in plants and certain other organisms that uses the energy from the sun to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose (a sugar) and oxygen.

  21. 5: Photosynthesis

    5.1: Overview of Photosynthesis. All living organisms on earth consist of one or more cells. Each cell runs on the chemical energy found mainly in carbohydrate molecules (food), and the majority of these molecules are produced by one process: photosynthesis. Through photosynthesis, certain organisms convert solar energy (sunlight) into chemical ...

  22. Photosynthesis Equation, Process and Stages of Photosynthesis

    The Process of Photosynthesis. This process uses the energy of the sun to make the reaction of carbon dioxide and water to form glucose. Carbon dioxide enters the plants through tiny pores in the bottoms of leaves. Water enters by various means, usually roots, but also by osmosis. The energy of the sun, absorbed by the green chemical ...

  23. 2.23: Photosynthesis Summary

    What is photosynthesis? The process of using the energy in sunlight to make food (glucose). But of course it is much more complex than that simple statement. Photosynthesis is a multistep biochemical pathway that uses the energy in sunlight to fix carbon dioxide, transferring the energy into carbohydrates, and releasing oxygen in the process.

  24. Question: Write briefly on the process of photosynthesis as it ...

    You'll get a detailed solution that helps you learn core concepts. Question: Write briefly on the process of photosynthesis as it occurs in bacteria. (5) Write briefly on the process of photosynthesis as it occurs in bacteria. ( 5) Here's the best way to solve it. Photosynthesis in bacteria is a vital process that...