In the process of photosynthesis, plants convert sunlight energy to the chemical energy of sugar. The balanced chemical reaction for this process can be written as:
`6CO_2 + 6H_2O + sunlight -> C_6H_12O_6 + 6O_2`
In this reaction, carbon dioxide and water are consumed, in the presence of sunlight, to generate glucose and oxygen. Thus, the sugar or carbohydrate that plants make during photosynthesis is the glucose.
Apart from generating glucose, photosynthesis is also essential for two key purposes. Firstly, it generates oxygen, which is necessary for the survival of all aerobic species, like human beings. Secondly, the process is also a sink of carbon dioxide and helps maintain the atmospheric concentration of carbon dioxide at livable levels.
Some of the glucose generated in the process of photosynthesis is broken down by cellular respiration to generate energy (in the form of ATP molecules).
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