In photosynthesis, the light-dependent reactions take place on the thylakoid membranes. The inside of the thylakoid membrane is called the lumen, and outside the thylakoid membrane is the stroma, where the light-independent reactions take place.
In light-dependent reactions, the energy from sunlight is absorbed by chlorophyll and converted into chemical energy in the form of electron carrier molecules like ATP and NADPH. Light energy is harnessed in Photosystems I and II, both of which are present in the thylakoid membranes of chloroplasts.
The overall function of light-dependent reactions, the first stage of photosynthesis, is to convert solar energy into chemical energy in the form of NADPH and ATP, which are used in light-independent reactions and fuel the assembly of sugar molecules.
At the end of the light-dependent reactions, chloroplasts have converted and stored solar energy in the chemical bonds of ATP, and produced high-energy electrons stored as NADPH. Chloroplasts use this energy to drive the light independent reactions that produce the final sugar molecules.