Photosynthesis Notes For Physical Science

Phot osynthesis is the pr ocess by which plants, algae, and some bacteria conv ertsunlight int o energy. It is a vital pr ocess for life on Earth, as it is the primar y source ofener gy for almost all living or ganisms.Phot osynthesis occurs in the chlor oplasts of plant cells, and it inv olves the conv ersionof light ener gy into chemical ener gy stored in the bonds of glucose molecules. Thepr ocess is driv en by pigments called chlor ophyll, which absorb sunlight and use theener gy to conv ert carbon dio xide (CO2) and water (H2O) int o glucose (C6H12O6) ando xy gen (O2). The chemical r eaction can be r epresented b y the following equation:6CO2 + 6H2O + light ener gy --> C6H12O6 + 6O2The o xygen pr oduced during phot osynthesis is released into the atmospher e as ab ypr oduct.Phot osynthesis is a complex pr ocess that involves se ver al stages and enzymes. Itoccurs in two main stages: the light-dependent r eactions, which occur in the thylakoidmembr anes, and the light-independent r eactions, which occur in the stroma. Thelight-dependent r eactions use the ener gy from sunlight t o produce A