How Do Chloroplasts Capture Energy from the Sun?
How Do Chloroplasts Capture Energy from the Sun?
How Do Chloroplasts Capture Energy from the Sun?
Plant cells and some algae contain an organelle called the chloroplast. The chloroplast allows plants to harvest energy from sunlight, a process known as photosynthesis. Specialized pigments in the chloroplast absorb sunlight and use this energy to combine carbon dioxide and water to make glucose and oxygen. The complete reaction is:
6CO2 + 6H2O → C6H12O6 + 6O2
| Raw Materials (Reactants) CO2 = carbon dioxide H2O = water | Products C6H12O6 = glucose O2 = oxygen |
Plant cells can use this process to manufacture glucose, a simple sugar. Some of the glucose is used immediately for cellular respiration, where it is converted to a high energy compound called ATP. You might recall from studies of the cell, that the process of creating ATP occurs in the mitochondria. Glucose that is not used right away is packaged as carbohydrates or fats and then stored in the roots, seeds, and fruits.
All autotrophs can make their own food in this way, unlike heterotrophs, which must consume food. When you eat a potato, you are eating the carbohydrates that the plant created from sunlight.