Photosynthesis may seem like an easy topic, based on what you learned in middle school. But, as we go a little deeper into the processes of how Plants chemically create glucose from a gas, a liquid, and sunlight we find that it is a whole lot more interesting and complicated. Below is a graphic organizer to show the parts of the chloroplast, the reactants, the products, and the important molecules involved in both the Light & Dark Reactions.

Light Reaction

• Light & Water enter the Thylakoid (or granum)
• Oxygen is released as a byproduct
• In the process, NADPH and ATP are charged and carry energy to the Dark Reactions.

Dark Reactions

• The ATP and NADPH, combined with Carbon Dioxide, create Glucose.
• The leftover NADP+ and ADP go back to the light reaction.