What is the primary function of photosynthesis?

The primary function of photosynthesis is to convert sunlight and water into simple sugars. During this process, plants, algae, and some bacteria capture light energy using chlorophyll and convert carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and water from the soil into glucose, a simple sugar. This glucose not only serves as an essential energy source for the plants themselves but also forms the foundation of the food chain for other organisms.

While breaking down chemical compounds and filtering toxins from water are processes that can occur in various biological systems, they do not represent photosynthesis. Similarly, producing herbicides naturally is not a primary function of photosynthesis; that is more related to secondary metabolic processes in certain plants. Thus, converting sunlight and water into simple sugars captures the essence of what photosynthesis accomplishes.