Photosynthesis

• Photosynthesis


  A multi-step process by which plants use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to produce oxygen (as a waste product) and energy in the form of sugar
• Photosynthesis


  1. Use sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide

  2. Produce oxygen and energy in the form of sugar
• The sugar molecules are broken down to release the stored energy for use in cellular activities
• Photosynthesis equation


  Carbon dioxide + Water + Sunlight energy → Sugar + Oxygen
• In photosynthesis, plants use the light energy from the sun to build simple molecules of carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) to more complex organic molecule sugar (C6H12O6)
• Aside from the sugar, which is the primary product of the reaction, water (H2O) is also released during evapotranspiration and oxygen (O2) as the by-product
• The energy from the sun is transformed and stored in the sugar (glucose) in the leaves and other parts of the plants in a form of chemical energy
• The carbons and oxygens in glucose come from the carbon dioxide, while its hydrogens come from the water in the reactant
• The by-product oxygen came from the water in the reactant and is a raw material for cell respiration
• Heterotrophs


  Consumers that cannot directly utilize the Sun's energy
• Autotrophs


  Organisms that perform photosynthesis to convert carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates
• Photosynthesis is the major source of energy among heterotrophs in an ecosystem
• Photosynthesis removes enormous amounts of carbon dioxide from the atmosphere, reducing the amount of greenhouse gases and mitigating the effect of climate change
• Plants can survive on their own


  Animals cannot
• The law of chemical combination is exemplified in a balanced equation of photosynthesis