What is produced as a waste product during photosynthesis?

During photosynthesis, the process used by plants, algae, and some bacteria to convert light energy into chemical energy, oxygen is released as a waste product. This process occurs primarily in the chloroplasts of plant cells, where chlorophyll captures sunlight and uses it to convert carbon dioxide (from the air) and water (from the soil) into glucose and oxygen.

The oxygen produced is a byproduct of the splitting of water molecules during the light-dependent reactions of photosynthesis. While carbon dioxide is one of the raw materials required for photosynthesis, the ultimate products include glucose, which serves as an energy source, and oxygen, which is released into the atmosphere. The release of oxygen is significant not only for the survival of the plants themselves but also for the majority of life on Earth, as it is essential for cellular respiration in animals and humans.