• The process of photosynthesis transfers?light energy?to?chemical energy?in biological molecules
• In ecosystems where?sunlight?and?water?is available, the process of photosynthesis enables plants to?synthesise?organic compounds?(glucose and other sugars) from?carbon dioxide
• Most of these sugars synthesised by plants are used by the plant as?respiratory substrates
  • A respiratory substrate is a molecule (such as glucose) that can be used in?respiration, to release?energy?for?growth

   

• The remaining sugars (not used in respiration) are used to make?other groups of biological molecules, such as:
  • Starch?- a complex carbohydrate molecule (formed from many glucose molecules) that acts as a?short-term energy storage?molecule
  • Cellulose?- another complex carbohydrate molecule (also formed from many glucose molecules) that acts as a?structural component?of plant?cell walls
  • Lipids?- plant cells can convert the sugars produced during photosynthesis into lipids, which act as another type of (longer-term) energy storage molecule
  • Proteins?- plant cells can also combine the sugars produced during photosynthesis with?nitrates?to make?amino acids, which can then be used to produce?proteins

   

• These different groups of biological molecules (all formed from the sugars synthesised by plants during photosynthesis) make up the?biomass?of the plants
  • The biomass is the mass of?living material
  • The biomass can also be thought of as the?chemical energy?that is?stored?within the plant

   

The sugars synthesised during photosynthesis can be used in respiration or the creation of other biological molecules needed by plants