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.
(noun)An example of photosynthesis is how plants convert sugar and energy from water, air and sunlight into energy to grow.