What is PHOTOSYNTHESIS? Well… besides being a long word that you might think is one of those fancy words used in a science-fiction story, photosynthesis is actually the term used in real science to depict the amazing chemical process of how plants make their own energy.
Where does a tree get its energy? Through the use of its leaves, a tree is able to manufacture its own energy through this process called photosynthesis. Here is a diagram of how sunlight energy is absorbed by chlorophyll combined with water and carbon dioxide are converted into sugar (also known as glucose). This sugar serves as energy food for a tree; some is constantly being used to sustain the tree and a portion is stored away in its trunks for later use. Oxygen is also produced in the process and we can all appreciate the vital importance of that for all breathing life forms… including us!
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