Photosynthesis is the process by which plants, algae, and some bacteria convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose, using the energy from sunlight, and release oxygen as a byproduct. The overall balanced chemical equation for photosynthesis is:
6 CO2 + 6 H2O + light energy → C6H12O6 + 6 O2
In this process, six molecules of water are used along with six molecules of carbon dioxide to produce one molecule of glucose and six molecules of oxygen. However, it's important to note that water molecules are not only reactants in the photosynthesis equation; they are also produced during the light-dependent reactions when water is split to release electrons, protons, and oxygen. This process is called photolysis.
During photolysis, each molecule of water produces two electrons, two protons (hydrogen ions), and one oxygen atom. Since oxygen gas (O2) is diatomic, it takes two water molecules to produce one molecule of oxygen gas:
2 H2O → 4 e- + 4 H+ + O2
In the context of your question, no water molecules are being "recycled" in the sense that they are used and then released unchanged in the production of glucose. Rather, the water molecules are split and their components are rearranged into glucose and oxygen.
Therefore, in the creation of one molecule of glucose through the overall photosynthetic process, six water molecules are consumed as reactants.
How many molecules of water are recycled when one molecule of glucose is created during photosynthesis? 1,6,3,12
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