What is Photosynthesis?

Photosynthetic is a powerful yet a simple natural process employed by plants and other autotrophic organisms. Organisms make use of sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water to produce oxygen and sugar as a form of energy source. Heterotrophic depend on plants for their energy needs by directly eating them or indirectly by preying on herbivore animals. The photosynthetic process is carried out in the chloroplast organelle of a plant cell.

• The plants first take up carbon dioxide from the surroundings via tiny holes called stomata present in leaves, stems, and other plant parts.
• The water molecules present in the cellular environment in the presence of sunlight are oxidized, hence they lose electrons.
• These electrons are taken up by the carbon dioxide molecules, hence reducing them.
• Six molecules of water (H₂O) and six molecules of CO₂ come together and react in the sunlight to produce one glucose molecule and six molecules of oxygen.
• 6CO₂ + 6H₂O  +  light energy   →   C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂
• The oxygen molecules are diffused out of the stomata into the environment.
• The glucose molecules serve as energy fuel since the energy stored in them can be harvested via cellular respiration and fermentation processes to generate ATP (adenosine triphosphate) to meet cellular energy needs.
• Photosynthesis helps in Carbon Fixation, where inorganic carbon like CO2 is incorporated into the formation of organic compounds like glucose.