Fabulous Photosynthesis

By Sara Thompson

Image credit Govindaraj Mahalakshmi, Wikimedia Commons

Special to The Enterprise

Earth Day is always April 22 in the United States and celebrates the natural world around us and how to keep it healthy. One of the most spectacular natural processes that makes our planet livable is photosynthesis. This process is done by most plants, algae, and several cyanobacteria, and the most important result of this reaction is oxygen.

Photosynthesis would not work without a substance called chlorophyll. It absorbs energy from sunlight, specifically the red and blue light waves, and reflects the green light waves giving plants their green color. The energy captured from the sunlight allows the chemical reaction of photosynthesis to take place. Along with sunlight, plants also absorb carbon dioxide and water from the air and soil. The collected light energy fuels the process of plant creating their own food. The chemicals mix, trade electrons, and the result is glucose for the plant to use for growth, and oxygen that it releases back into the environment.

Oxygen production is an amazing byproduct of photosynthesis, but the benefits do not stop there. It is also an essential part of the energy cycle. While the plants absorb and store solar energy, when those plants are eaten by herbivores, that energy is transferred to that animal. Additionally, if eaten by a carnivore, energy is again transferred to another form. When plants and animals die, they decompose with the help of bacteria and fungi, which releases carbon dioxide back into the air and soil to be reused by plants in photosynthesis. Without plants first absorbing light energy, the energy cycle would slow or stop, rendering this planet almost lifeless.

The word photosynthesis comes from the joining of two Greek words. ‘Photo’ which means ‘light’ and ‘synthesis’ meaning ‘combining together’. So, photosynthesis is light combining together with carbon dioxide and water to create glucose for the plant and oxygen for the rest of us. And the materials used are all part of the same energy cycle that combine all living things together on this planet that we must continue to respect and keep healthy so we can all live and thrive together. For Earth Day this year, remember how important plant life is, their place in the energy cycle, and how fabulous photosynthesis is for creating oxygen for the rest of life on Earth.

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