## TL;DR

Photosynthesis converts light energy to chemical energy (glucose) using CO₂ and H₂O, releasing O₂. Two stages: light-dependent reactions (thylakoid membrane, produce ATP + NADPH) and Calvin cycle (stroma, fix CO₂ into sugar). C₃ plants (most), C₄ plants (corn, tropical), CAM plants (succulents) differ in carbon fixation.

## Core Explanation

Light reactions: photosystem II splits H₂O → O₂ + electrons, photosystem I produces NADPH, ATP synthase makes ATP. Calvin cycle: RuBisCO enzyme fixes CO₂ (most abundant enzyme on Earth). Equation: 6CO₂ + 6H₂O + light → C₆H₁₂O₆ + 6O₂. Chlorophyll absorbs red and blue light (reflects green — why plants appear green). Photosynthesis produces essentially all atmospheric oxygen.

## Further Reading

- [Molecular Mechanisms of Photosynthesis (Blankenship)](https://www.wiley.com/en-us/Molecular+Mechanisms+of+Photosynthesis%2C+3rd+Edition-p-9781119800019)