Green plants absorb light in their leaves and convert it to energy by photosynthesis. Temperature, carbon dioxide concentration and light intensity can affect the rate of photosynthesis.
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants make carbohydrates from raw materials, using energy from light. During photosynthesis:
The following equations summarise what happens in photosynthesis:
\[carbon\:dioxide + water \xrightarrow[chlorophyll]{light} glucose + oxygen\]
\[6CO_{2}+6H_{2}O\xrightarrow[chlorophyll]{light} C_{6}H_{12}O_{6}+ 6O_{2}\]
Some glucose is used for respiration, while some is converted into insoluble starch for storage. The stored starch can later be turned back into glucose and used in respiration.