Photosynthesis
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Photosynthesis is how plants turn light into chemical energy and store it as glucose. It runs in two linked stages inside the chloroplast, each handing its output to the next.1
The two stages
- Light reactions: chlorophyll in the thylakoid membrane absorbs photons and splits water, releasing oxygen.2
- Calvin cycle: the ATP and NADPH from the first stage fix carbon dioxide into sugar, with no light required.1
That second stage is why it was once called the dark reaction, even though it runs in daylight alongside the first.





