photosynthesis

The definition of photosynthesis is the process through which plants use water and carbon dioxide to create their food, grow and release excess oxygen into the air.

Facts About Photosynthesis

• Photosynthesis uses sunlight, carbon dioxide and water to produce oxygen, glucose and water.
• The structure of the leaf allows for carbon dioxide and oxygen to enter and leave the leaf, which is where photosynthesis actually takes place.
• The water from the leaves evaporates through the stomata, and filling its place, entering the stomata from the air, is carbon dioxide. Plants need carbon dioxide to make food.
• The water given off cools a plant on a hot, sunny day, similar to the way human beings cool off when perspiring. A mature house plant can transpire its body weight daily.
• The roots of the plant provide the water that is required for the process to proceed and the chlorophyll in the cells of the leaf absorbs the necessary sunlight.
• Photosynthesis is not limited to green plants, it is also a process that occurs in certain algae, specifically blue-green algae and bacteria.