Final answer:
Glucose is produced by photosynthesis, where plants convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose using sunlight. Chemosynthesis also produces glucose using chemical energy instead of light.
Step-by-step explanation:
Glucose is primarily produced by the biological process known as photosynthesis. In photosynthesis, organisms such as plants use sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen. The chemical equation representing this process is 6CO2 + 6H2O + Energy → C6H12O6 + 6O2. Here, water serves as a reactant, and energy from sunlight drives the reaction.
Another process that also produces glucose is chemosynthesis, which is similar to photosynthesis but uses chemical energy instead of solar energy to convert carbon dioxide into glucose. This is common in organisms living in environments without sunlight, such as deep-sea vent ecosystems.
Cellular respiration, on the other hand, is the process by which cells break down glucose in the presence of oxygen to release energy (ATP), water, and carbon dioxide. This process can be summarized by the chemical equation C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + Energy. While it involves glucose, cellular respiration does not produce it.