Photosynthesis is considered an endergonic process. This means that it requires an input of energy to occur. During photosynthesis, plants capture light energy from the sun and use it to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen. This process entails a series of chemical reactions that store energy in the form of glucose, a high-energy molecule.
To elaborate, endergonic reactions are characterized by a positive change in free energy (ΔG), indicating that energy is absorbed from the surrounding environment. In the case of photosynthesis, the light energy absorbed by chlorophyll is transformed into chemical energy, enabling the plant to build complex molecules like glucose from simpler substances.
On the other hand, an exergonic process releases energy, which is not the case with photosynthesis. Instead, the overall reaction of photosynthesis can be summarized as:
6 CO2 + 6 H2O + light energy → C6H12O6 + 6 O2
In summary, photosynthesis is an endergonic process because it requires energy input to convert light energy into chemical energy, which is a fundamental aspect of how plants grow and thrive.