How Photosynthesis Works

Full transcript

Plants are incredible living factories that can make their own food using nothing but sunlight, water, and air around them. The whole process starts when a plant's leaves absorb energy directly from sunlight, capturing it like tiny solar panels on every leaf. At the same time, the roots pull water up from the soil, and the leaves absorb carbon dioxide gas straight from the surrounding air through tiny pores. Inside the leaf cells, tiny green structures called chloroplasts use the sun's energy to transform water and carbon dioxide into a sugar called glucose. This glucose becomes the plant's fuel, powering its growth, its flowers, and everything else it needs to survive and thrive throughout its life. As a wonderful bonus, photosynthesis releases oxygen as a byproduct, giving every animal and human on Earth the fresh air we all breathe every single day.