Photosynthesis (CIE IGCSE Biology: Co-ordinated Sciences (Double Award))

• Plants convert light energy into stored chemical energy during the process of photosynthesis
• Photosynthesis can be defined as:

The process by which plants manufacture carbohydrates from raw materials using energy from light

• The raw materials needed for photosynthesis are carbon dioxide and water
• The reaction requires energy which is obtained when the pigment chlorophyll traps light energy from the Sun

• Photosynthesis is a chemical reaction that occurs inside some plant cells
• The word equation for photosynthesis is:

• The reactants in the chemical reaction of photosynthesis are carbon dioxide and water
  • Carbon dioxide diffuses into leaves from the surrounding air
  • Water is absorbed from the soil by plant roots
• The products are glucose and oxygen
  • Glucose is a store of chemical energy that can be used by the plant
  • Oxygen is released as a waste product

Plants extract raw materials from the environment and produce glucose and oxygen