ABSTRACT
Photosynthesis is the most important single biological process we know of. It transforms the vast flow of photons from the solar fusion reactor into chemical energy, which in its turn is the engine of all life on Earth. It is also photosynthesis that creates the vital oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere. The term photosynthesis simply means that the plant produces carbohydrates using light. Photosynthesis means that water and the carbon dioxide in the air are transformed into complex organic molecules that build all plants, from grass to roses, cacti, pines, and apple trees. The solar energy is captured with “antennas” inside the chloroplasts, which consist of a few hundred molecules of chlorophyll or carotene. In photosynthesis, the incoming photon creates a particle in motion, supposed to find its way to the reaction center.
