yhteyttävät
Yhteyttävät is a Finnish term that translates to "photosynthesizing" or "photosynthesis" when referring to the process. In biology, photosynthesis is the process used by plants, algae, and cyanobacteria to convert light energy into chemical energy, through a process that uses sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide. This chemical energy is stored in carbohydrate molecules, such as sugars, which are synthesized from carbon dioxide and water. Photosynthesis is a vital process for life on Earth as it produces the oxygen we breathe and is the foundation of most food chains. Organisms that carry out photosynthesis are called photoautotrophs. The word "photosynthesis" itself comes from the Greek words phos, meaning "light," and synthesis, meaning "putting together." The overall chemical equation for photosynthesis is often summarized as 6CO2 + 6H2O + Light Energy → C6H12O6 + 6O2. This equation shows that carbon dioxide and water are converted into glucose (a sugar) and oxygen. Chlorophyll, a green pigment found in chloroplasts, is essential for capturing light energy. Photosynthesis occurs in two main stages: the light-dependent reactions and the light-independent reactions (also known as the Calvin cycle). The light-dependent reactions convert light energy into chemical energy in the form of ATP and NADPH, while the light-independent reactions use this energy to fix carbon dioxide into organic molecules.