1. Reactants:
* Carbon dioxide (CO₂): The source of carbon for building sugars.
* Water (H₂O): Provides electrons and hydrogen ions (protons).
* Light energy: The driving force for the process.
2. Catalysts:
* Chlorophyll: The pigment that absorbs light energy.
* Enzymes: Biological catalysts that speed up the chemical reactions.
Other important molecules involved in the process include:
* ATP (adenosine triphosphate): Energy currency of the cell.
* NADPH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate): Electron carrier.
* Rubisco (ribulose bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase): Enzyme that catalyzes the first step of carbon fixation.
It's important to note that the process of photosynthesis can be divided into two main stages:
* Light-dependent reactions: Use light energy to produce ATP and NADPH.
* Light-independent reactions (Calvin cycle): Use ATP and NADPH to convert CO₂ into sugar.
These stages are interconnected and rely on the molecules listed above to function.
