All living things on this planet need energy to live and energy comes from food. But we have never seen a plant cooking or eating food. This brings us to one of the most interesting questions “From where do plants get their energy?”. Plants produce their energy in a different way, and the process is known as photosynthesis.
About Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is the biological conversion of light energy into chemical energy. Plants absorb water from the soil through their roots. The water goes to the leaves which take carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and with the help of sunlight plant produce their own food which is called glucose. The glucose is the food for the plant which gives them the energy to grow.
Photosynthesis is a very important chapter in exams like ICSE and CBSE, so students must have a clear concept on this topic. Here are some interesting facts that students should know about photosynthesis.
[ 1 ] Plant Photosynthesis
Plants are the only living things in the world that can create their own food. Plants need water, carbon dioxide, and sunlight to produce their food. The process is known as photosynthesis.
[ 2 ] Shape of Trees and Plants
We can see that most of the trees are triangular in shape. This is due to the reason that plants and trees need more sunlight to do photosynthesis.
[ 3 ] Organic Molecule
The sugar molecules which are produced by photosynthesis are the building blocks for many other organic molecules in living organisms like lipids, proteins, and amino acids.
[ 4 ] Food Energy for Animals
Plants and trees provide food energy to other animals. To get energy, animals need plants or other animals.
[ 5 ] Location of Photosynthesis
Plants conduct photosynthesis in a specialized cell organelle called chloroplast. The main role of chloroplasts is to conduct photosynthesis.
[ 6 ] Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll is the primary pigment of photosynthesis. It captures the energy from sunlight and converts it. Then it stores the energy in the storage molecules NADPH and ATP while freeing the oxygen from water.
[ 7 ] Ecosystem
Photosynthesis provides the energy and carbon that is needed for most of the ecosystem to survive. Without plants and trees, most of our ecosystem will be ruined.
[ 8 ] Old Plants
Photosynthesis does not only occur in new plants but also in old plants. Plants can survive as long as they can make their own food. This is the reason that trees can live up to 1000 years and more.
[ 9 ] Photosynthetic Organisms
Photosynthesis also occurs in certain single cell bacteria and protists. Along with plants, these organisms are called as primary producers as they provide food directly or indirectly to all living organisms.
[ 10 ] Photosynthesis in Animals
Researchers have discovered that sea slugs can create their own food through the process of photosynthesis. Sea slug eats algae, but it does not fully digest the algae and it continues to photosynthesize the food and provide energy for the slug.
