HELP ME PLEASE IF YOU KNOW BIOLOGY! (Photosynthesis, way off topic)

[faespirit]

Hey everyone, I know that this is waaaay off topic from ponies and I'm really sorry and it feels weird posting this here but I really need your help. I have a Biology Test on Thursday and there is an essay question worth 15 points and I have absolutely no idea what to do...I've asked everywhere and haven't gotten a response and at this point...
Explain the process of photosynthesis.
6CO2 + 6H2O+light energy= C6H12O6 + 6O2.
For each reactant:     For each product:
When is it used          When it is made
What it does                What makes it
What it becomes          What it is used for
In order please and I will very greatly appreciate help. 

[okamigirl64]

Civil Engineer major here, so can’t really help but I can suggest checking out khan academy!
https://www.khanacademy.org/science/biology/photosynthesis-in-plants/introduction-to-stages-of-photosynthesis/v/photosynthesis
Here’s a link to a video explaining it, hopefully this helps some until you can get some help from people here who have taken bio more recently than me!

[Mewtwofan1]

Biology IB student, I’ll be glad to offer some advice. Photosynthesis is a complicated thing, but it can be explained.
SiX H2O (water) is brought into the leaf and split into twelve hydrogen (H2) and six oxygen (O2 (your teacher may want you to balance the equation, which is why you need 6 h20 to produce a balanced equation.)
The splitting is done when a photon hits an organelle in the chloroplast called a thylakoid. I’m not sure if this is part of your level of bio. If not, just keep that as FYI. The hydrogens and oxygens will be used in the production of glucose.
The six CO2 molecules are brought in and split using ATP (cell energy) into 6 carbon and six oxygens. The carbon will be used in the formation of glucose, and the six remaining oxygens will be released as a byproduct. FYI, this process is a light independent reaction called the Calvin cycle.
Finally, you get glucose (C6H12O6) and oxygen (O2). Glucose is a sugar used by the plant as a way to store energy for use later, and is also the carbohydrate we eat when animals consume plants. The extra oxygen actually is not needed by the plant, and is released as a byproduct. The oxygen is needed by many other organisms, mostly animals for their cellular functions like extracting energy from that glucose.
     I know it’s not the best explanation, but this is a sort of rough outline of events without going too specific into material that you may not need, like how the water and carbon dioxide split, and the intricate parts of those processes. I hope this answers your question, and good luck on your exam!

[Whippycorn]

The amount of detail needed depends on what level you are at, here are some basics...

Water is used in the light dependent stage where it is split and used to produce ATP (energy provider) and NADPH2 which are needed for the light independent stage.

Carbon dioxide is used in the Calvin cycle (light independent stage), where it is converted into glucose using the ATP and NADPH2 produced in the light dependent stage.

The glucose is used immediately for cellular respiration or it is converted into starch to be stored for later. It is stored as starch as it is insoluble unlike glucose.

Glucose is also used to produce cellulose (structural chemical) and proteins.

The oxygen produced during the light dependent stage is used in cellular respiration or released from the leaf as waste via the stomata.

I second Khan Academy as a decent resource for revision.

Good luck

[faespirit]

Thank you guys! Everything was really helpful.  My test went really well!  I couldn't have done this without you.

[okamigirl64]

Thank you guys! Everything was really helpful.  My test went really well!  I couldn't have done this without you.

Yay! Glad to hear!