The photosynthesis is a process in which the plants take carbon dioxide and water from air and soil to produce energy.
There are two types of photosyntheis processes:
Oxygenic photosyntheis and Anoxygenic photosynthesis, both follow very similar principles.
- Oxygenic photosynthesis:
The light transfers electrons from water taken up by the plants roots to carbon dioxide to produce carbohydrates (sugar). In this transfer, the carbon dioxide is reduced and the water is oxidized, and oxygen is produced along with carbohydrates being that process a counterbalance to respiration.
That process can be summarired by the reaction equation:
6CO2 + 12H2O + Light energy -----> C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6 H20
Here, 6 molecules of carbon dioxide combine with 12 molecules of water using light energy result in the formation of a single carbohydrate (glucose) along with 6 molecules each of water and oxygen. We can see that the photosynthesis is a process wich converts light energy in chemical energy that can be used by the cells of autotrops organisms.
The energy changes in photosynthesis:
The light energy is captured and stored in the bonds between glucose molecules this event happens in the chroloplasts. The first energy transformation occurs when light energy from the sun is converted in chemical energy in the form of ATP and NADPH, these molecules provide energy for the next step that is the assemble of glucose by carbon chains that will form the molecule. The glucose can then be linked together to form cellulose, wich plants need to live (grow news leaves and bigger), these reactions are anabolic reactions that are used to create and store energy in the form of organic molecules from inorganic molecules.