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Photosynthesis is the conversion of light energy into chemical energy by living organisms. The raw materials are carbon dioxide and water; the energy source is sunlight; and the end-products are oxygen and (energy rich) carbohydrates. This process is arguably the most important biochemical pathway in the Carbon Cycle since nearly all life either directly or indirectly depends on it...Photosynthesis occurs in two stages:
In the first phase, light-dependent reactions or photosynthetic reactions (also called the Light reactions) capture the energy of light and use it to make high-energy molecules. During the second phase, the light-independent reactions (also called the Calvin-Benson Cycle) use the high-energy molecules to capture carbon dioxide and make the precursors of carbohydrates.
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