Photosynthesis - Fact Monster

Main navigation

• Games
  • Roman Numeral Challenge
  • Math Flashcards
  • Hangman
  • Same Game
  • Tic Tac Toe
  • 1010 Classic
  • MergeIt
  • Simon Says
  • Word Searches
  • This or That Polls
  • Quizzes & Trivia
• World
  • Countries
  • World History & Timelines
  • World Stats & Facts
  • War
  • Current Events
  • World Geography
  • Religion
  • Natural Disasters
  • Accident Archive
• U.S.
  • U.S. History
  • Government
  • U.S. Geography
  • Education
  • Laws & Rights
  • National Landmarks
  • The Fifty States
  • U.S. Cities
  • U.S. Population
  • Race & Ethnicity
  • Postal Information
  • Speeches & Documents
  • U.S. State Flags
  • Timelines
• People
  • People Fun Facts
  • Biographies
  • Women of Influence
  • U.S. Presidents
• Math & Science
  • Math
  • Biology
  • Earth Sciences
  • Environment, Energy, and Nature
  • Health and Body
  • Dinosaurs
  • Inventions and Inventors
  • Chemistry
  • Physics
  • Weather
  • Food
  • General Science
  • Computers, Technology and the Internet
  • Transportation
  • Astronomy and Space
• Language Arts
  • Creature Catalog
  • All About Books
  • Grammar and Spelling
  • Speaking of Language
  • Mythology
• Homework
  • Geography
  • History
  • Language Arts
  • Mathematics
  • Science
  • Social Studies
  • Writing
  • Research
  • Speaking & Listening
  • Studying
• Tools
  • Almanac
  • Atlas
  • Conversion Calculator
  • Dictionary
  • Distance Calculator
  • Encyclopedia
  • Place Finder
  • Spell Checker
  • Thesaurus
• Teaching Resources

ADVERTISEMENT

1. / Math & Science
2. / Biology
3. / Plant Kingdom
4. / Photosynthesis

Cite

Photosynthesis Updated February 21, 2017 | Factmonster Staff

Photosynthesis is a process in which green plants use energy from the sun to transform water, carbon dioxide, and minerals into oxygen and organic compounds. It is one example of how people and plants are dependent on each other in sustaining life.

Photosynthesis happens when water is absorbed by the roots of green plants and is carried to the leaves by the xylem, and carbon dioxide is obtained from air that enters the leaves through the stomata and diffuses to the cells containing chlorophyll. The green pigment chlorophyll is uniquely capable of converting the active energy of light into a latent form that can be stored (in food) and used when needed.

Photosynthesis provides us with most of the oxygen we need in order to breathe. We, in turn, exhale the carbon dioxide needed by plants. Plants are also crucial to human life because we rely on them as a source of food for ourselves and for the animals that we eat.

Plant Kingdom Carnivorous Plants General Science Sources + Our Common Sources ✖ See also:

• Specialized Cell Structure and Function: Modifications and Adaptive Functions

ADVERTISEMENT

Flashcards

Hone your math skills with our flashcards!

ADVERTISEMENT

New Games

Discover several new games that we've added to our collection!

Hangman

Grow your vocab the fun way!

©2022 Sandbox Networks Inc. All rights reserved. Sandbox Learning is part of Sandbox & Co., a digital learning company.