Biology : Photosynthesis |
|
Photosynthesis is a process by which green plants and some bacteria manufacture carbohydrates from water and atmospheric carbon dioxide, using the energy of sunlight. For photosynthesis to happen, the chlorophyll molecules within the plant's cells must be able to trap the energy from light. Thus light is a critical component of the process. The light is used to split water molecules, giving off oxygen as a by-product. The hydrogen of the water molecules is then used to reduce carbon dioxide to simple carbohydrates. In scientific terms, the process can be summarized as: Carbon dioxide + Water + Sunlight => Glucose + Oxygen Sunlight is absorbed by a chemical in plants called chlorophyll, which is the green part gives plants leaves their distinctive green color. According to scientists, the reason it is green is, because green light cannot be used for photosynthesis (only the red and blue wavelengths of light can be used), thus the green wavelength of light is reflected. |
RELATED ARTICLES:
Photosynthesis and structure of leaves
Biology : The kingdoms of life
In the science world, it is widely believed that every creature on planet earth belongs to a kingdom. Although there is a wide ranging debate on how many kingdoms of creature there are, most agree on the number five. Below are