Photosynthesis

What is special about plants?

Like all living beings, plants need food to survive, too. The difference between plants and animals is that plants can make their own food.

Plants are called “producers” as they make their own food.

Almost all parts of a plant can be eaten as food, like leaves, fruits, flowers, seeds, vegetables, stems, and roots, depending on the type of plant.

Let’s learn about the process that helps plants to make food.

What is Photosynthesis?

Photosynthesis is the process by which plants are able to produce food in the form of sugars.

Ingredients needed for photosynthesis: 

• Sunlight (The word “photo” means “light”)
• Carbon Dioxide (air)
• Water

Steps of Photosynthesis

There are 5 main steps in the process of photosynthesis.

• Chloroplasts in the leaves absorb sunlight, storing light energy.
• The leaves absorb carbon dioxide from the air through holes called stomata.
• The roots absorb water from the soil and send it up to the leaves through the stem.
• Chlorophyll found in the chloroplast converts the stored light energy into chemical energy to split the water into hydrogen and oxygen.
• The hydrogen combines with the carbon from carbon dioxide to form sugar. 
• Oxygen is released in the process into the atmosphere through the leaves. 

Light Energy + Carbon Dioxide + Water => Glucose (Sugar) + Oxygen

Review

Let’s quickly recap what we learned about photosynthesis.

• What are the three main ingredients needed for photosynthesis? Sunlight, Water & Carbon Dioxide
• Which part of the leaves absorbs sunlight? Chloroplast
• What is the green pigment found in chloroplast that helps to split the water molecule? Chlorophyll
• What type of food is formed by the process of photosynthesis? Glucose
• What is released into the atmosphere as a by-product of photosynthesis? Oxygen