Photosynthesis: Equation for Photosynthesis

The most profound characteristic of plants that differentiates them from animals is their ability to synthesize their own food or their autotrophic character. And the phenomenon behind this is nothing, but photosynthesis. It is the process of converting light energy (harvested from sunlight) into chemical energy (sugars) by the green plants. Likewise, respiration is essential for breaking down stored food particles and using the released nutrients for growth and development of plants. This cycle continues throughout the life cycle of a plant.

The ability of plants to produce foods is credited to the presence of chlorophyll and chloroplast in the leaves. The former is the green pigment, while the latter refers to the plastids that contain chlorophyll and other useful pigments. To be more precise, photosynthesis is carried out in the chloroplasts with the help of chlorophyll pigments. Even though we all are familiar with plants since time immemorial, many of us still do not know the equation for photosynthesis and respiration. More information on photosynthesis equation coming up in the next paragraphs.

Equation for Photosynthesis: Explained

So, what is the photosynthesis equation? It is a chemical representation of photosynthesis in a reaction form, which takes place in the chloroplasts. If you have a brief idea about the required raw materials and the products of this basic plant process, you will easily understand chemical equation for photosynthesis. Hence, before we jump to photosynthesis equation directly, let's try to understand first about what all occurs in the process of photosynthesis.

In photosynthesis, carbon dioxide is used as a substrate base for producing glucose and oxygen with the help of light energy and water. Also, energy from the plants is utilized in fixing carbon dioxide and converting it to sugar. It is a complex process, but can be represented in a simplified reaction form. The following is the balanced photosynthesis equation, which will help you understand this plant process:

6 CO₂ + 6 H₂O + Light energy → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6 O₂

Carbon dioxide + Water + Light energy → Glucose + Oxygen

The explanation of photosynthesis equation in words is the following. The reactants are carbon dioxide, water and sunlight, which after completion of the reaction give rise to glucose and oxygen. The numerical value placed before the compounds indicates the number of molecules required for the process. For example; 6 CO₂ stands for six molecules of carbon dioxide and 6 O₂ means six molecules of oxygen. Thus, in photosynthesis six molecules of carbon dioxide and six molecules of water react in presence of sunlight to produce one molecule of glucose and six molecules of oxygen.

The final product of photosynthesis i.e., glucose is stored in the complex molecular structure of the plant cells. Whereas, oxygen produced as a byproduct is released to the surrounding for use in respiration by living organisms including humans and animals. Apart from oxygen supply, the glucose synthesized by means of photosynthesis is source of energy for living organisms and is circulated in the food chain. Thus, plants are crucial for balancing the atmospheric air composition and supporting life in every step.

So, this was an overview regarding photosynthesis and chemical equation for photosynthesis. Once you are familiar with this, you will find it simple to learn respiration equation. The equal and opposite phenomenon is observed in cellular respiration, which is responsible to oxidize glucose, resulting in production of energy, carbon dioxide and water.