photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants, algae, and some bacteria convert light energy into chemical energy in the form of glucose, using carbon dioxide and water, and releasing oxygen as a by-product.

Photosynthesis occurs in the chloroplasts of plant cells.

The two main stages of photosynthesis are the light-dependent reactions and the light-independent reactions (Calvin cycle).

Chlorophyll is a pigment found in chloroplasts that absorbs light energy, primarily in the blue and red wavelengths, and is essential for the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis.

6CO2 + 6H2O + light energy → C6H12O6 + 6O2.

Thylakoids are membrane-bound structures within chloroplasts that contain chlorophyll and are the site of the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis.

RuBisCo (Ribulose Bisphosphate Carboxylase) is an enzyme that catalyzes the first step of the Calvin cycle, fixing carbon dioxide from the atmosphere into organic molecules.

The light-dependent reactions convert solar energy into chemical energy in the form of ATP and NADPH, which are then used in the Calvin cycle.

The Calvin cycle, also known as the light-independent reactions, is the process by which carbon dioxide is fixed into glucose using ATP and NADPH produced in the light-dependent reactions.

Water is split during the light-dependent reactions to provide electrons, protons, and oxygen; the electrons replace those lost by chlorophyll.