Plants are self-sustaining organisms that use a process called photosynthesis to make food. Excess food is stored within the plant tissues for later use. Stage one of photosynthesis is known as the light-dependent reaction.
Green plants contain the chemical chlorophyll. This substance absorbs light--natural or artificial--and uses its energy to convert water and carbon dioxide into the simple sugar glucose. The byproduct, oxygen, is released back into the atmosphere.
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Stage one of the photosynthetic process is called the light-dependent reaction and occurs during daylight hours. If plants are in an artificial setting, the reaction can be triggered when they are exposed to a light source.
The purpose of this stage is to extract the hydrogen from the water molecules and release the oxygen. Also during this stage, light energy converts to chemical energy to make the sugar needed for stage 2, the light-independent reaction process.
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The plant co-enzyme nicotine adenine dinecleotide phosphate (NADP) helps with electron transfer in stage one. Hydrogen atoms are excited by the light energy and attach themselves to NADP molecules, creating NADPH, which is needed for carbohydrate conversion.
Also in stage one, adenosine triphosphate (ATP) is created. ATP is used in the storage of sugars and starches in plants.
