Photosynthesis is the process by which a cell captures sunlight and turns it into food. There are two stages of photosyntheis. The first stage of photosynthesis is the part where the sunlight is captured. The sunlight is captured by tiny organelles in a plants leaf called Chlorophyll which act very much like miniature solar panels.
The second stage is the part where the cell uses the captures sunlight and turns it into energy. The cell requires two raw materials to to complete this stage: water and carbon dioxide. The water for photosyntheis is captures through the roots of a plant. Carbon dioxide is captured through small holes in the underside of a leaf called the stomata. On the the materials get into the plant they move to the chloroplasts. Inside the chloroplasts the go through a series of processes which end up producing sugars and oxygen. The photosynthesis equation is below.
light energy
6 CO2 + 6 H2O ------------> C6H12O6 + 6 O2
carbon dioxide + water--------> sugar + oxygen
The photosynthesis equation is the exact opposite of the respiration equation.
