Plants need several things in order to survive: Dirt, nutrients, water, and sunlight are the basic needs that help to feed and keep most trees, flowers, and shrubs alive. The process of photosynthesis occurs when the sun's rays are absorbed into a plant and are converted to energy. So why are most leaves and stems we see green in color? The sun produces rays in all of the colors of the spectrum. Plants only absorb the red and blue light, and the color that is left over is green. What you see when you look at plants is the colors that they did NOT absorb for photosynthesis. The energy from the sun converts the plant's molecules into sugar, producing food for the plants. This process creates oxygen, which goes back into the atmosphere. This is how photosynthesis works.
In order for plants to live and grow, they must go through the process of photosynthesis. Although some plants might need less light than others, all of them have to get energy from the sun. Without the sun, plants cannot produce food and energy to grow and thrive. Even the changing colors of autumn leaves are related to photosynthesis. As the sunlight weakens and the days grow shorter, some species of plants cannot keep their many leaves alive. The lack of sunlight is what causes them to change color into darker browns, gold tones, and reds, and then the leaves fall off. This is why sunlight and photosynthesis are so important to plant growth and survival.
Just like animals and humans, plants need to food and nutrients in order to survive. When the sun's light reaches the plant, the plant uses this energy along with carbon dioxide from the air and nutrients from the ground to make its own food. Plants take in water from the air as well as receive it from the ground through its roots. Another way that photosynthesis can feed plants is by a process called light-independent reactions. This means that the sugars in the plant are broken down using carbon dioxide along with other chemicals that can be found within the plant. This process produces plant sugar and helps it flow freely throughout the plant. This sugar helps to feed the roots, stem, leaves, fruit, or flowers in the plant and keeps them healthy and strong.
There are three major factors that can affect the level or effectiveness of photosynthesis. The first factor is temperature: If it is colder, the process could slow down a bit. The second factor is how intense the light from the sun is. This can depend on the plant's location as well as the different seasons of the year. The third factor that affects photosynthesis is the concentration of carbon dioxide found within the plant.
As you can see, sunlight, nutrients, and the process of photosynthesis all work together to help plants thrive and grow. Without the sun, the many beautiful trees and flowers we see every day would not be able to survive. It is important that we learn about photosynthesis and the role it plays in helping the plants of our earth survive and thrive. When we learn about how photosynthesis works, we can better understand plants and what makes them so unique.
This article was posted by Chad Kremp
