What is Photosynthesis?

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#photosynthesis #biology #plants #ngscience

Plants do not eat food as animals do. To get the energy they need to survive, plants make their own food through an amazing process called photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis usually takes place in the leaves of plants. The large surface area of leaves allows them to absorb lots of sunlight. They also take in carbon dioxide from the air. Water taken in by the roots is transported through the stem to the leaves.

The leaf now has all the things it needs to make food. Using the energy from sunlight, it converts the water and carbon dioxide into glucose. The glucose is the food the plant needs. It gives the plant the energy it needs to live, grow and reproduce.

During photosynthesis, plants produce oxygen. The oxygen is given off through the leaves. Oxygen is the part of air that animals and people need to survive.
External Structures – Leaves
Plants are organisms that absorb the energy in sunlight to make food through the process of photosynthesis. In most plants, photosynthesis takes place in the leaves. To take in lots of sunlight, leaves are external structures that are often flat and branch out to cover a large area.

The key to making food is what lies inside the leaf. We’ll take a look at that in more detail later.

Leaves have a large surface area for absorbing sunlight, but this can also lead to water loss. To reduce water loss, many leaves have a waxy outer covering called a cuticle.

Some plants in hot and dry environments like deserts store water in their leaves. They have a thick cuticle to prevent water loss.

The bryophyllum plant can reproduce from its leaves. Small plantlets with roots develop along the edges of the leaves. The plantlets can grow into new plants when they fall to the ground.