Expert: Walter Hintz - 12/5/2006

Question
Will you please help explain the steps and process photosynthesis in a way i could understand.   
        Thank you

Answer
I will try Brittini.  There are two steps involved.  The first is the captute of energy and the second involves utilizing the energy to synthesis Glucose from carbon dioxide and water.
First: capture of photons (energy packets of light)
  Electrons are in orbits or energy levels around a chlorophyll atom.  They have potential energy based upon how far they are from the nucleus; the outer orbits have greater potential energy.  Photons strike the electrons and knock them to a higher level.  These electrons try to get back to where they were and are picked up by electron carriers and carried back.  As they do energy is given off and used to hook a phosphate onto a nucleotide called ADP which becomes ATP.

Step two involves glucose synthesis in which carbon hydrogen and oxygen are combined to form glucose(C6H12O6)
This process is called the C4 or Calvin) cycle.  You will have to find a diagram regarding this process