Photosynthesis: The vital Process

Photosynthesis is the inevitable and vital physiological process and without this necessary process of life could not exist. Photosynthesis in simple terms is the conversion of light energy to chemical energy. It is the process where organic compound (carbohydrates) is produced from inorganic substrates along with the evolvement of oxygen. Being a consumer, animals and human beings are directly or indirectly dependent on plants for their food requirement. The by- product of photosynthesis is oxygen which has made life possible on the planet earth. Photosynthesis is the ultimate vital process for plants themselves that drives their metabolic processes. The carbohydrate produced during the photosynthesis is consumed as a basic source of energy by plants for their growth and development. It is the process that plays an important role in the bioproductivity of plants as well as ecosystem. The carbohydrates produced are also utilized in plant cell structure such as cell wall. Biosynthesis begins with photosynthesis.

One of the important roles of photosynthesis in plants is the production of active constituents, which are responsible for the medicinal properties of any plant. The most commonly encountered secondary metabolites of plants are saponins, tannins, flavonoids, alkaloids, anthraquinones, cardiac glycosides and cyanogenic glycosides. The carbon skeleton of all the compounds is derived from carbohydrates synthesized by photosynthesis. Various classes of active constituents (secondary compounds) are synthesized from the primary metabolites which are produced as a result of photosynthesis. It is a vital process that is sustaining life on this earth.

By:- Dr. Neha Tiwari Joshi
Department of Botany
Uttaranchal (P.G.) College of Biomedical Sciences and Hospital