The process by which plants convert CO2 and water into glucose using light energy is:

• A. Cellular respiration
• B. Fermentation
• C. Photosynthesis
• D. Glycolysis

Answer: (C)

Plants capture light energy with pigments like chlorophyll to drive photosynthesis, turning carbon dioxide and water into glucose and releasing oxygen. In the light-dependent reactions, light energizes chlorophyll to split water, producing oxygen and forming ATP and NADPH. Those energy carriers then power the Calvin cycle, where CO2 is fixed into organic sugars and built up into glucose. This pathway relies on light and chloroplasts, and it’s the process by which plants convert inorganic carbon and water into a usable carbohydrate.

Other options describe different metabolic pathways that don’t use light to synthesize glucose from CO2 and H2O. Cellular respiration breaks down glucose to release energy, often consuming oxygen; fermentation and glycolysis are energy-producing steps that don’t convert CO2 and water into glucose.