page_title: Photosynthesis
section_title: Reactions
hierarchical_section_title: Photosynthesis / Reactions
context_page_description: Photosynthesis is the process by which plants and other things make food. It is an endothermic chemical process that uses sunlight to turn carbon dioxide into sugars that the cell can use as energy. As well as plants, many kinds of algae, protists and bacteria use it to get food. Photosynthesis is very important for life on Earth. The exception are certain organisms that directly get their energy from chemical reactions; these organisms are called chemoautotrophs.
  Photosynthesis can happen in different ways, but there are some parts that are common.
  6 CO2 + 6 H₂O + photons → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6 O2
  carbon dioxide + water + light energy → glucose + oxygen
  The carbon dioxide enters the leaf through the stomata by Diffusion from the atmosphere.
  The water is absorbed from the soil by root hair cells, which have an increased surface area for an increased uptake of water.
  Photosynthesis occurs in the Chloroplast which contain Chlorophyll, the green pigment that absorbs light energy. In leaves, Palisade cells have lots of chloroplasts to capture more light. This way, the plant can do more photosynthesis.
context_section_description: Photosynthesis has two main sets of reactions. Light-dependent reactions need light to do work; and light-independent reactions, which do not need light to do work.
caption: Diagram of a chloroplast
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