Photosynthesis+2

Photosynthesis 2 1. Plants make their own food by photosynthesis. In photosynthesis, energy is captured from the Sun, then this energy is used to make food. Stage1: Capturing the Sun’s Energy a. The Sun’s energy is captured by chloroplast in the cells of leaves. b. Chloroplasts are green organelles that contain chlorophyll. c. Chlorophyll is a green colored chemical compound that absorbs light. d. The energy captured by chlorophyll is used to power the second stage of photosynthesis. Stage 2: Using energy to make food a. Raw materials used to make food are water (H2O) and carbon dioxide (CO2). b. Plants get this water using roots and it is passed up to the leaves. c. Carbon dioxide enters the plant though holes in their leaves called stomata. d. Once in the leaves the water and carbon dioxide enter the chloroplasts. e. The water and carbon dioxide undergo a chemical reaction to make a six carbon sugar. f. Not all the oxygen from the water and carbon dioxide is used to make the sugar, so it is released. 2. Sugar is a type of carbohydrate. 3. Cell can use the energy in sugar to carry out important cell functions. 4. In theory, all the oxygen in the Earth’s atmosphere was produced by photosynthesis.