Photosynthesis

Light-driven synthesis of sugar from carbon dioxide and water, the energy source of nearly all life.

Core Principles & Analysis

• Chlorophyll absorbs red and blue light to drive electron transport and split water.
• Ancient cyanobacterial photosynthesis caused the Great Oxidation Event about 2.4 billion years ago.
• The Calvin cycle that fixes CO₂ into sugar earned Melvin Calvin the 1961 Nobel Prize.

Specifications & Metrics

• GENERAL FORM: 6CO₂ + 6H₂O → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂