Photosynthesis is a crucial process that plants, algae, and some bacteria use to convert light energy into chemical energy stored in glucose. The primary reactants of the photosynthesis reaction are carbon dioxide and water.
In the presence of sunlight, plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air through tiny openings in their leaves called stomata. At the same time, they take up water from the soil through their roots. These two reactants undergo a series of chemical reactions within the chloroplasts of plant cells, facilitated by the green pigment chlorophyll, which captures the light energy required for the process.
During photosynthesis, carbon dioxide and water undergo a transformation to produce glucose and oxygen. The overall chemical equation for photosynthesis is typically written as:
6CO2 + 6H2O + light energy → C6H12O6 + 6O2
This means that six molecules of carbon dioxide and six molecules of water, using sunlight, are transformed into one molecule of glucose and six molecules of oxygen. The oxygen produced is released into the atmosphere, which is vital for the survival of aerobic organisms, including humans.