PHOTOSYNTHESIS IN HIGHER PLANTS

Look at the world around you. Every living thing depends on a single source of energy: the sun. Yet the sun's energy in the form of photons cannot be directly used by most life forms. Photosynthetic organisms solve this problem through an elegant process: capturing light energy and converting it into chemical energy stored in glucose molecules. This process, photosynthesis, is among the most important biochemical reactions on Earth.

Nearly all atmospheric oxygen originates from photosynthesis. Nearly all food energy for life comes from photosynthesis. Without photosynthesis, Earth would be a dead, barren planet. Understanding photosynthesis reveals how plants harness solar energy, how this energy transfers through food chains, and how carbon cycles through living and non-living systems.