PHOTOSYNTHESIS

PHOTOSYNTHESIS

Photosynthesis, the process by which green plants and certain other organisms transform light energy into chemical energy. This chemical energy is stored in carbohydrate molecules, such as sugars, which are synthesized from carbon dioxide and water.

In most cases, oxygen is also released as a waste product. Photosynthesis occurs in two stages. In the first stage, light-dependent reactions or light reactions capture the energy of light and use it to make the energy-storage molecules Adenosine triphosphate (Organic chemical that provides energy to drive many processes in living cells) and Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate . During the second stage, the light-independent reactions use these products to capture and reduce carbon dioxide.