During photosynthesis, plants release oxygen as a byproduct. Here’s how the process works:

Carbon dioxide (CO2) absorption:

Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air through their stomata, which are small pores on the leaves.

Light absorption:

The chloroplasts in plant cells contain chlorophyll, a green pigment that absorbs sunlight, particularly the red and blue wavelengths.

Light-dependent reactions:

The absorbed light energy is used to split water (H2O) molecules in a process called photolysis.

This splitting of water molecules releases electrons, protons, and oxygen as byproducts.