Comparison and Contrast of Photosynthesis and Photovoltaic Process

Comparison and Contrast of Photosynthesis and Photovoltaic Process

Introduction

The photosynthesis process allows plants and in some unicellular organism use solar energy from the sun and transforms into chemical energy, included in glucose molecules that gives energy to plants. Virtually all the energy available for life in the earth's biosphere is made available through photosynthesis. (Compton's Interactive Encyclopedia) The first step in photosynthesis is the absorption of light by the plants chlorophyll. Cells that contain the chlorophyll and many other enzymes and proteins create chemical reactions that allow for the photosynthesis to take place.

The photovoltaic cell is the base element which is able to convert straightly the solar energy in electric energy through the photovoltaic effect as we know as solar power. (Solarhome) Likewise a solar panel is made up of modules of these solar cells similar to the chlorophyll in photosynthesis. When exposed to the photons found within sunlight, some electrons of the solar cells are knocked loose. These loose electrons create an electrical current which can be harnessed for electrical needs similar to the glucose molecules created by photosynthesis that will give off energy. Now we have found the connections between the photovoltaic cell and the photosynthesis process: both convert the solar energy from the sun photosynthesis into electric energy the photovoltaic process into chemical energy.

Method of Comparison

These Process are very similar in that aspects that they both require sunlight, attract and harness it in either chlorophyll or photovoltaic cells and the chemical reactions within the cells are what creates the energy in which we then can use. Photosynthesis however has a very critical by product of oxygen. Solar energy although doesn’t create harmful hazardous waste it has not by product either. Solar energy can be harvest much quicker than photosynthesis and many factors can dramatically...