The end product of photosynthesis is glucose (a sugar molecule) and oxygen gas. The glucose may be used immediately by the plant for energy, or stored as starch for later use. The oxygen is released into the atmosphere as a byproduct of photosynthesis. Other organisms, including humans, use the oxygen released during photosynthesis for respiration to fuel their own metabolic processes. In this way, photosynthesis is crucial for sustaining life on Earth.
