Photosynthesis

When humans get hungry, they decide to eat something, we do this because humans
and animals get energy from the food we eat. In contrast, plants use light energy to
produce the food they need to survive. The energy from sunlight is used by the plant
to make carbon dioxide and water react chemically together and change into glucose
and oxygen. This process is called photosynthesis. The main point of it is that plants
are able to change solar energy into chemical energy.
Photosynthesis can be written down as a chemical equation:
Carbon Dioxide(gas) + Water => sunlight => Glucose + Oxygen(gas)
6 CO2 + 12 H2O -sunlight> C6H12O6 + 6 H2O + 6 O2
Light shining down from the sun is absorbed by the plants cells. Inside some of these
cells is a special light adsorbing molecule or pigment called chlorophyll (see figure).

Chlorophyll

This is the compound that traps the sunlight to start the process of energy
generation. Water and carbon dioxide are two of the main ingredients needed too.
The collected sunlight energy causes the water molecules to split in two hydrogen
and one oxygen atoms, this step is called light-dependent reaction and can be done
only during the sun is shining. The oxygen is released as a side product into the
atmosphere and affords us to breathe on this earth.
Than the remaining hydrogen atoms combine with the carbon dioxide to make a
sugar the plant can use as its food, this step is called Calvin-cycle or dark reaction
and can be done during day and night. With the glucose the plant can form starch
molecules, which are the fundamental component of the plant cell skeleton.

Why is photosynthesis so important?

Photosynthesis makes food for plants and for animals.

Photosynthesis results in oxygen gas being made that is released by the plant
into the atmosphere for living things to breathe.

Fortunately plants do the opposite, when plants are making food they breathe in
carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. Therefore plants are extremely important
to humans and animals as they give them oxygen to breathe and prevent us all
from suffocating.

Photosynthesis results in carbon dioxide gas being removed from the

atmosphere. Carbon dioxide is a greenhouse gas that is responsible for global
warming.

Used sources:

BBC, Science aid, University of Arizona

http://www.nhptv.org/natureworks/nwepphotosynthesis.htm