Green plants make the carbohydrate glucose from the raw materials carbon dioxide and water
At the same time oxygen is made and released as a waste product
The reaction requires energy which is obtained by the pigment chlorophyll trapping light from the Sun
So photosynthesis can be defined as the process by which plants manufacture carbohydrates from raw materials using energy from light
It can be summed up in the following equation:
Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll is a green pigment that is found in chloroplasts within plant cells
It reflects green light, giving plants their characteristic green colour
Chlorophyll absorbs light energy; its role is to transfer energy from light into energy in chemicals, for the synthesis of carbohydrates, such as glucose
Photosynthesis will not occur in the absence of chlorophyll