Photosynthesis is the process in which the energy from light is converted into chemical energy. This process is used by plants, algae, and some bacteria.http://www.life.illinois.edu/govindjee/paper/gov.html Light energy is captured by the chlorophyll found inside of the chloroplasts of a green plant. The plant converts sunlight, carbon dioxide and water into sugars and oxygen. The sugars are used as energy storage while the oxygen is a by product of the process and is released into the atmosphere. This light absorption occurs in the leaves of the plant and rarely takes place elsewhere. http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio104/photosyn.htm
The entire process is done in two separate stages, a "light" stage and a "dark" stage. The light stage being the one that requires sunlight to take place. In the first stage, chlorophyll absorbs sunlight which excites its electrons to a higher energy level. The electrons then leave the chlorophyll and pass through some molecules which then creates ATP (adenosine triphosphate) - the energy source for the second stage of photosynthesis- and oxygen. http://biology.clc.uc.edu/courses/bio104/photosyn.htm The second stage, known as the Calvin cycle, does not require light. In this stage the ATP is used to combine with carbon dioxide to make glucose. http://www.life.illinois.edu/govindjee/paper/gov.html
Diagram of the Photosynthesis Process
The Chemical Process
The entire photosynthesis process is a chemical reaction that yields the needed glucose. The equation of the chemical process is as follows: http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/biobookps.html
6H2O + 6CO2 --------------> C6H12O6+ 6O2
This translates as 6 water molecules combining with 6 carbon dioxide molecules. The end result is a single sugar molecule and 6 oxygen molecules. The oxygen will be released into the atmosphere and the sugar will be used as fuel for the plant.
Photosynthesis Process
This video explains how plants capture sunlight and convert it into energy that it can use. Chloroplasts are the key ingredient to the photosynthetic process, allowing the transformation of light energy to be stored as chemical energy in sugars. When sunlight hits the chlorophyll in a plants, the chlorophyll absorbs the energy and excites its own electrons to the point where they are released and can be used in the next stage of photosynthesis.
References
Fast Facts
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Types
Plants aren't the only things to use photosynthesis, some bacteria also get energy from sunlight
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Requirements
The process will not work if there is no sunlight or carbon dioxide present
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Stages
The process occurs in two stages, the "light" stage and the "dark" stage
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Conversion
Plants convert the energy found in light and convert it to chemical energy in the form of glucose.
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Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll is the most important part of the process, by absorbing light and releasing electrons ATP can be made
