Nucleic acids are polymers of individual nucleotide monomers. Each nucleotide is composed of three parts: a 5-carbon sugar, a phosphate group, and a nitrogenous base. Only two 5-carbon sugars are found in nature: ribose and deoxyribose. 5-carbon sugar (ribose or deoxyribose) forms the central molecule in a nucleotide. By convention, the carbon atoms in the sugar are numbered from the original carbonyl position on the chain using a number plus the prime symbol (â).
Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants and certain other organisms transform light energy into chemical energy. Photosynthesis in green plants harnesses the energy of sunlight to convert carbon dioxide, water, and minerals into organic compounds and gaseous oxygen.
The synthesis of carbohydrate from carbon and water requires a large input of light energy. The standard free energy for the reduction of one mole of CO2 to the level of glucose is +478 kJ/mol. Because glucose, a six carbon sugar, is often an intermediate product of photosynthesis, the net equation of photosynthesis is frequently written as : 6CO2 + 12H2O + Light Energy _____> C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6H2O.