Photosynthesis is a biochemical process by which green plants, algae, and some bacteria convert light energy, typically from the sun, into chemical energy stored in glucose (a sugar) using carbon dioxide and water. During this process, these organisms capture sunlight through chlorophyll, the green pigment in their cells.
The general equation for photosynthesis can be summarized as:
\[ \text{6 CO}_2 + \text{6 H}_2\text{O} + \text{light energy} \rightarrow \text{C}6\text{H}{12}\text{O}_6 + \text{6 O}_2 \]
This means that six molecules of carbon dioxide and six molecules of water, using light energy, produce one molecule of glucose and six molecules of oxygen. Photosynthesis is essential for life on Earth as it provides the oxygen we breathe and serves as the foundation of the food chain by producing organic compounds that sustain other organisms.