SMRTR Science & EngineeringJun 10, 2026Quanta Magazine

An Early Step on the Long, Strange Road to Photosynthesis

SMRTR summary

About 2.4 billion years ago, bacteria evolved the ability to use sunlight to split water molecules and convert carbon into sugars — a process called photosynthesis. This breakthrough flooded Earth's atmosphere with oxygen, fundamentally changing life on the planet forever.

SMRTR provides this summary for quick context. The original article belongs to Quanta Magazine.

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