Photosynthesis

• Green plants are the food and oxygen producers of the living world.
• They manufacture organic molecules from inorganic raw materials.
• Animals rely on green plants to make food that provides them with energy and oxygen.
• Green plants are thus known as producers and animals are in turn known as consumers.
• Only green plants can make food.
• The process by which green plants make food from inorganic materials is known as photosynthesis.
• Photosynthesis- is the process by which green plants use light energy to combine carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates and releasing oxygen as a by product.
• The word equation for photosynthesis is:
• \text{Carbon Dioxide+Water}\xrightarrow[light]{chlorophyll}\text{Carbohydrates+Oxygen}
• There are two types of carbohydrates made during the process of photosynthesis:
• sugars and starch.
• Testing for either of these molecules in plants will show whether plants are making food.
• Most plants produce although others like cereals (e.g. maize) produce sugars first.
• The simple sugar compound (glucose) is converted into starch for storage in the leaves.
• Chlorophyll is the green pigment found in plants.
• It is commonly found in plant leaves.
• It absorbs light energy from the sun and converts it into chemical energy.
• It absorbs light energy from the usn which can then be used to manufacture food.

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