What process utilizes light energy to produce glucose?

Photosynthesis is the process that harnesses light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen. This occurs in the chloroplasts of plant cells, where chlorophyll absorbs sunlight. The absorbed light energy drives the chemical reactions that convert the raw materials into glucose, a simple sugar that serves as an energy source for the plant and, indirectly, for other organisms that consume the plant.

During photosynthesis, light energy stimulates the conversion of carbon dioxide from the air and water from the soil into glucose through a series of biochemical reactions. This not only produces glucose which plants use for energy and growth but also releases oxygen as a byproduct, which is essential for the survival of aerobic organisms.

In contrast, cellular respiration is a process by which organisms convert glucose and oxygen into carbon dioxide, water, and energy, effectively being the reverse of photosynthesis. Fermentation is an anaerobic process that breaks down glucose for energy without oxygen, often producing lactic acid or ethanol instead of glucose. Glycolysis is the first step in both aerobic and anaerobic respiration that breaks down glucose into pyruvate, but it does not involve light energy or the production of glucose.

Hence, photosynthesis is clearly the correct answer, as it is the unique