Photosynthesis:
Energy from light!
Photosynthesis is the process of turning the energy of light into sugars. Just like normal table sugar, the sugars made by plants are packed with energy. Plants are not the only forms of life that utilize photosynthesis, algae and microorganisms are capable of performing photosynthesis.
Why it's Important
Humanity is more dependent on photosynthesis than ever before. The fossil fuels that are the cornerstone of our energy began as carbon dioxide from the atmosphere. Through photosynthesis, ancient forests turned that carbon dioxide into organic compounds, leading to the their underground transformation into the crude oil we use today. Realize that nearly all of the energy needed for life comes from our sun. This is a massive amount, and only a fraction of the sun's energy effectively used.
Overview
The basic formula for the process of photosynthesis is as follows:
Carbon Dioxide + Water ---> Sugar + Oxygen
(In the Presence of Light + Chlorophyll)
Figure 1 - http://static.howstuffworks.com/gif/irrigation-photosynthesis.gif
The Chloroplast : The site of photosynthesis
All forms of life are built by cells. A cell is the smallest portion of an organism. In more complicated forms of life, such as plants, people and bugs, different types of tissue are made by different types of cells that have specialized tasks. In trees, for example, the cells that make the trunk are specialized for transporting nutrients up and down the tree, while the leaves are wide and broad to capture light for photosynthesis. Those leaves have something that the bark cells do not, and those are chloroplasts. Chloroplasts are organelles. An organelle is a small body that performs certain duties within the cells. The chloroplasts are the organelles responsible for photosynthesis. Within these organelles lies the chlorophyll, which is where this entire process begins.
Structures found within the Chloroplast
Figure 2: http://micro.magnet.fsu.edu/cells/chloroplasts/images/chloroplastsfigure1.jpg
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