The Basics of Photosynthesis
To start, lets look at the actual equation for photosynthesis.
H2O + CO2 + sunlight (energy) ---> O2 + C6H12O6 (glucose)
In simple terms, for photosynthesis a plant needs:
1) water, obtained from the roots of the plant,
2) carbon dioxide, CO2, obtained from the atmosphere, and
3) energy in the form of sunlight to then produce oxygen and glucose.
The CO2 is used for the dark reactions while the sunlight and H2O are used for the light dependent reactions, but that will be put into further detail later.
A NOTE:
NADPH, ATP (high-energy electron carriers) ADP, and NADP+ (low-energy electron carriers) also play a role in this process, but are recycled in throughout the chloroplast.
H2O + CO2 + sunlight (energy) ---> O2 + C6H12O6 (glucose)
In simple terms, for photosynthesis a plant needs:
1) water, obtained from the roots of the plant,
2) carbon dioxide, CO2, obtained from the atmosphere, and
3) energy in the form of sunlight to then produce oxygen and glucose.
The CO2 is used for the dark reactions while the sunlight and H2O are used for the light dependent reactions, but that will be put into further detail later.
A NOTE:
NADPH, ATP (high-energy electron carriers) ADP, and NADP+ (low-energy electron carriers) also play a role in this process, but are recycled in throughout the chloroplast.
(Krueger, 2012)