This deep dive covers How Photosynthesis Works within Photosynthesis for GCSE Biology. Topic 1: Photosynthesis It is section 2 of 13 in this topic. Use this deep dive to connect the idea to the wider topic before moving on to questions and flashcards.
Topic position
Section 2 of 13
Practice
15 questions
Recall
20 flashcards
🔬 How Photosynthesis Works
Photosynthesis takes place in chloroplasts — organelles found in plant cells and algae. Chloroplasts contain the green pigment chlorophyll, which absorbs light energy (mainly red and blue wavelengths) and uses it to power the conversion of carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen.
The balanced symbol equation is:
6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2 (requires light energy)
Photosynthesis is an endothermic reaction — it absorbs energy from light and stores it as chemical energy in glucose molecules.