Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis

 

Today we are learning about the process of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is when a plant turns sunlight into food but we are going into photosynthesis even more. Leaves have an important part in the process of photosynthesis. Chloroplasts, which are organelles, are in the leave and they turn sunlight into food for the entire plant.

We need plants a lot. Without them we wouldn't be here. They create oxygen which we need to breath. We cut them down to use for paper, clothing and food in return. Not so nice of us is it? But there is one thing we do for them. When we breath in the oxygen they make, we exhale carbon dioxide which is what they need to live. Think of it as a giant circle or a partnership. We need them much more than they need us. If we didn't exist they would get carbon dioxide from animals. If they didn't exist we would have no air, clothes, food and other materials.

 Photosynthesis is when a plant collects energy from the sun to make a sugar called glucose. Glucose is the main source of energy for plants, allowing there cells to function and grow. As you probably already know, plants use their roots to collect water from the soil around them. Water travels up from the roots into the rest of the plant in a transport tissue called xylem which is what the wood in trees are. Leaves take in carbon dioxide and release oxygen through openings called stomata which only open and close when the guard cell tells it to prevent chemicals from getting in.

 

  The water and carbon dioxide spread through the leaves into cells called the palisade and spongy cells. These cells contain structures called chloroplasts, which are filled with a green pigment called chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is what makes green plants green. In photosynthesis chlorophyll traps energy from sunlight, storing it as chemical energy. This process splits water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen atoms. The chemical energy is used to create glucose from the hydrogen and carbon dioxide. The glucose dissolves into extra water molecules and gives the plant plenty of food for growth.