en.wikipedia.org
Photosynthesis
Biological process to convert light into chemical energy
- Photosynthesis is a system of biological processes by which photopigment-bearing autotrophic organisms, such as most plants, algae and cyanobacteria, convert light energy—typically from sunlight—into the chemical energy necessary to fuel their metabolism.
- The term photosynthesis usually refers to oxygenic photosynthesis, a process that releases oxygen as a byproduct of water splitting.
- Photosynthetic organisms store the converted chemical energy within the bonds of intracellular organic compounds, typically carbohydrates like sugars, starches, phytoglycogen and cellulose.
- When needing to use this stored energy, an organism's cells then metabolize the organic compounds through cellular respiration.
- Photosynthesis plays a critical role in producing and maintaining the oxygen content of the Earth's atmosphere, and it supplies most of the biological energy necessary for complex life on Earth.