Photosynthesis
Definition
Photosynthesis is the process through which green plants use sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water to produce glucose (sugar) and oxygen. It is vital for plant growth and releases oxygen into the atmosphere.
Analogy
Think of photosynthesis as a solar-powered factory inside plants. Just like how factories convert raw materials into useful products with energy from electricity, plants convert sunlight into glucose with energy from photosynthesis.
Related terms
Chlorophyll: The pigment found in chloroplasts that absorbs light energy during photosynthesis.
Carbon Dioxide (CO2): A greenhouse gas produced by burning fossil fuels and exhaled by animals, which is used by plants during photosynthesis.
Oxygen Cycle: The movement of oxygen between living organisms and the environment through processes like respiration and photosynthesis.
"Photosynthesis" appears in:
Subjects (1)
Study guides (10)
AP Environmental Science - 1.4 The Carbon Cycle
AP Environmental Science - 1.7 The Hydrologic Cycle
AP Environmental Science - 1.8 Primary Productivity
AP Environmental Science - 1.10 Energy Flow and the 10% Rule
AP Environmental Science - 1.11 Food Chains and Food Webs
AP Environmental Science - 2.2 Ecosystem Services
AP Environmental Science - 4.4 Earth's Atmosphere
AP Environmental Science - 5.2 Clearcutting
AP Environmental Science - 7.4 Atmospheric CO2 and Particulates
AP Environmental Science - 7.7 Acid Rain
Practice Questions (3)
- What the primary function of photosynthesis in the carbon cycle?
- How much of the sunlight that hits the Earth is captured through photosynthesis?
- How does the limited penetration of blue light affect photosynthesis in aquatic systems?
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