Which of the following processes is the direct conversion of light energy into chemical energy?

Photosynthesis is the process that directly converts light energy into chemical energy. During photosynthesis, plants, algae, and some bacteria capture sunlight using chlorophyll, a pigment found in chloroplasts. This light energy is used to combine carbon dioxide from the air and water from the soil to produce glucose, a form of sugar that serves as chemical energy. Oxygen is released as a byproduct of this process.

In contrast, the other processes listed do not involve the direct conversion of light energy into chemical energy. Electrophoresis is a technique used to separate charged molecules, such as DNA or proteins, based on their size and charge, and does not pertain to energy conversion. Transcription is the process of synthesizing RNA from a DNA template, while translation involves converting messenger RNA (mRNA) into a protein. Both transcription and translation are related to the expression of genes and the synthesis of biomolecules but do not involve the conversion of light energy.