Photosynthesis
or
How Plants Make Food
Energy from the Sun is
necessary to begin the
process.
Besides green plants, some algae and some
bacteria can also make their own food.
Radiant energy from the Sun,
in the form of light, begins
photosynthesis.
Chlorophyll must also be present
Water is taken into the plant
by the roots and carried to
the leaves through the xylem .
H20
H20
H20
Xylem is a
series of
tubes.
Carbon dioxide gas (CO2) is
taken into the plant through
the stomata on the underside
of leaves.
H20
H20
H20
Oxygen gas (O2) is released
into the atmosphere through
the stomata on the
under side of leaves.
O2
O2
O2
H20
H20
H20
Water vapor is released into
the atmosphere through the
stomata on the leaves.
This process is called transpiration.
Review the
process.
O2
O2
O2
H20
H20
H20
Explain each step as it is shown.
Remember, this process is
O
continuous in
light. O
2
2
O2
H20
H20
H20
• Photosynthesis is important to all life on Earth.
Plants and plant-like organisms replace oxygen
used by animals when they breathe and us the
carbon dioxide the animals exhale. The light
energy from the Sun is converted into matter
through a chemical reaction. The glucose
produced is used both to keep the plants alive
and stored to be used by animals that eat the
plants. The animals convert the plant matter
to chemical energy when the plants are
digested and used a fuel by the animal.
Quiz Questions
• Which three types of organisms can produce
their own food through photosynthesis?
• Why is photosynthesis necessary for life on
Earth to continue?
• How do energy and matter interact in the
photosynthesis process?