The Importance of Photosynthesis and What It Does for Life

1557 Words4 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: what are the importance of photosynthesis to life

The Importance of Photosynthesis and What it Does for Life
Life according to scientists is “the condition that distinguishes animals and plants from inorganic matter, including the capacity for growth, reproduction, functional activity, and continual change preceding death, also the way of life of a human being or animal.”("Life,”) In order for one to have life, one must have the nine characteristics to be considered a living thing. These nine characteristics are; all living things are made up of cells, living things are able to reproduce, living thing use energy, maintain homeostasis, respond and adapt to the environment, grow and develop, have a life span, evolve over time, and are interdependence. All of the nine characteristics have one thing in common, something that is needed for all living things to use, even if they do not know it. This beautiful thing that all living things should value is photosynthesis. Without photosynthesis there wouldn’t consist humans, animals, insects, and most importantly life!
What is Photosynthesis?
According to scientists, photosynthesis is “the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water. Photosynthesis in plants generally involves the green pigment chlorophyll and generates oxygen as a byproduct.” ("pho•to•syn•the•sis,")
What does Photosynthesis do for Living Things?
Photosynthesis is a key contributor to all living things; photosynthesis provides the oxygen, food, and nutrients that help all living things stay healthy and alive. Photosynthesis converts solar energy into the chemical energy of a carbohydrate. Photosynthetic organisms, including land plants, algae, and cyanobacteria, which are called autotroph...

... middle of paper ...

..., shelter, material, and oxygen needed for all living things to; have cells, able to reproduce, use energy, maintain homeostasis, respond and adapt to the environment, grow and develop, have a life span, evolve over time, and are interdependence.
We as a society should take care of our environment. We can recycle more, stop using harmful gases to produce the luxury that we take for granted, shelter the trees, get rid of cigarettes, use solar energy to power our houses, and clean up the garbage on the streets. Going green is the right thing to do, because it not only makes our environment look healthy, but helps us as a human race survive and live longer. Without photosynthesis there is no earth, we have take care of our environment not because it is the right thing to do, but just as we depend on photosynthesis for life, photosynthesis depend on us to survive!

Show More
Related

  • Analysis of the Absorption of Green Light Versus Red Light Absorption in Spinach Leaves

    1427 Words  | 3 Pages

    The majority of life on Earth depends on photosynthesis for food and oxygen. Photosynthesis is the conversion of carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates and oxygen using the sun’s light energy (Campbell, 1996). This process consists of two parts the light reactions and the Calvin cycle (Campbell, 1996). During the light reactions is when the sun’s energy is converted into ATP and NADPH, which is chemical energy (Campbell, 1996). This process occurs in the chloroplasts of plants cell. Within the chloroplasts are multiple photosynthetic pigments that absorb light from the sun (Campbell, 1996).

    Read More

  • Synthesis Lab Experiment: An Experiment On Photosynthesis

    1779 Words  | 4 Pages

    Photosynthesis is the process where plants transform light energy usually from sunlight into chemical energy and its balanced equation is 6CO2 + 6H2O –light energy----> C6H12O6 + 6O2 (Elsevier B.V.,LiveScience). Photosynthesis has major byproducts including water, glucose and starch(which is produced in the plant), and last but not least; oxygen. There are numerous amounts of plants all around the world producing CO2 necessary for human survival. However, the photosynthesis cycle is not visible which results in the plants appearing like they are not doing anything. One way to clearly prove that plants are indeed performing photosynthesis is to observe the plants giving off oxygen; which is one of the most important results of

    Read More

  • Cellular Respiration And Photosynthesis Essay

    1028 Words  | 3 Pages

    So, after learning about what photosynthesis is and how it truly works is something that is remarkable and how plants are really the only living thing that uses this process. Such as photosynthesis is the process of taking in carbon dioxide (CO2), which is a gas that is exhaled from animals and goes into the air and is absorbed into a plant, water (H2O) which is absorbed through the roots of a plant or known as capillary action, sun light is absorbed through chloroplasts which contains chlorophyll or better known as the leaves of the plant. Sun light is what helps break down and rearranges the atoms of these two, which produces sugars (glucose, C6H12O6), and this is photosynthesis at its finest. With the photosynthesis process the plant can create a by-product known as oxygen gas which is released through the little pores into the atmosphere (Simon, Dickey, Hogan & Reece, n.d.). Photosynthesis is something that helps the plants to grow but it is also very beneficial to us for the fact that we need to breath oxygen to maintain our functions of life. Plants produce an abundant supply of energy that is stored because they are what I would like to call savers/hoarders. Plants store the extra energy that they produce into different things such as potatoes, carrots, and other different types of food in which we use to

    Read More

  • Types Of Terrestrial Segeneration: What Is Carbon Sequestration?

    1007 Words  | 3 Pages

    During photosynthesis, carbon from atmospheric carbon dioxide is transformed into components which are necessary for plants to live and grow.

    Read More

  • Photosynthesis and its Discovery

    537 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Prentice Gallery Chemistry book defines photosynthesis as, “The procedure by which green plants and algae use radiant power from the sun to fuse glucose from carbon dioxide and water.” The glory of discovering photosynthesis does not belong to any one scientist, but rather numerous scientists contributed to refining the concept we now know as photosynthesis. Before describing the process of photosynthesis, I will provide a brief description of several of the important events that led to its discovery.

    Read More

  • Similarities Between Cellular Respiration And Photosynthesis

    368 Words  | 1 Pages

    Photosynthesis is a cycle that only plants are able to do. Energy is used when a person physical activities. All energy living things use comes from the sun. Photo means “light” and synthesis means “putting together”. Photosynthesis is the process by which a cell captures the energy in sunlight and uses the energy to make food. Cells need energy in order to carry out their

    Read More

  • Energy Capture and Metabolism in Living Organisms

    1591 Words  | 4 Pages

    Photosynthesis is one process of energy capture for living organisms. The formula for photosynthesis is 3CO2 + 6H2O + light  C3H6O3 + 3O2 + 3H2O. Basically, during this process, light energy is captured and converted into chemical energy, but it goes much deeper than that. First, light is captured by chloroplasts that contain pigments that capture different photons of light and then reflect different colors. The pigments include: chlorophyll, which absorbs blue and red wavelengths but reflect green; phycobilins, which absorbs blue, green, and yellow,

    Read More

  • The Photosynthetic Process: The Most Important Process In Photosynthesis

    987 Words  | 2 Pages

    Photosynthesis is a highly important process that takes place in plants primarily because without it life on this planet would not be able to function properly. “It produces the oxygen we breathe and the food we eat” (Harbinson). Without photosynthesis, life would not be able to sustain itself and our planet would be a barren wasteland. The Photosynthetic process converts light energy into chemical energy. The energy that’s created through the process then later is used to help fuel the organism’s activities. This process can be significantly more complicated than it sounds with different stages and many steps.

    Read More

  • Biosphere 2 Lab Report

    807 Words  | 2 Pages

    In photosynthesis, a plant cell(only plants can use photosynthesis) absorbs light from the sun and uses that light energy in the Electron Transport Chain(ETC) to create molecules of ATP and NADPH(and Oxygen which will leave the cell). These molecules will then be used in a process called the Calvin cycle which will then produce organic compounds. Next, is cellular respiration which uses these organic compounds and Oxygen will be used in a process called glycolysis which creates two ATP. Then, a process called the Krebs cycle uses a molecule called acetyl CoA to produce 4 Co2, 2 ATP, 6 NADH, and 2 FADH2. These products will then be transported to the ETC which will then produce more ATP which will be used as energy and will produce H2O. Overall, the most important thing to know is that the products of photosynthesis, organic compounds and O2, are reactants in cellular respiration which produces the reactants of photosynthesis, Co2 and H2O. Both processes rely on the other, without one, the other will not work which is why Biosphere 2 failed which I will explain

    Read More

  • The Processes of Photosynthesis and Fermentation

    3094 Words  | 7 Pages

    “Photosynthesis (literally, “synthesis from light”) is a metabolic process by which the energy of sunlight is captured and used to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O) into carbohydrates (which is represented as a six-carbon sugar, C6H12O6) and oxygen gas (O2)” (BioPortal, n.d., p. 190).

    Read More

  • The Process Of Photosynthesis And The Process Of Photosynthesis

    1088 Words  | 3 Pages

    Photosynthesis is the process by which plants and other organisms such as photosynthetic bacteria, algae and protists make their food. All organisms that undergo photosynthesis can be called photoautotrophs. In the food making process, the organism uses sunlight energy trapped by leaves and converts it into chemical energy. This chemical energy is then utilised as a drive force for the synthesis of organic products such as glucose. ¹The best known form of photosynthesis is the one carried out by higher plants and algae, as well as by cyanobacteria and their relatives, which are responsible for a major part of photosynthesis in oceans, Wim Vermaas 1998. The photosynthetic process can be written in a simple equation; 6H2O + energy (eˉ) 6CO2 -> C6H12O6+ 6O2. In anoxygenic photosynthesis however, light energy is used by other types of bacteria but in their case O is not a product. At a molecular level, these organisms use CO2 and H2O along with the energy obtained from the sun to undergo a series of complex reactions before they arrive at the end product of the desired carbohydrate.

    Read More

  • Photosynthesis And Cellular Respiration Essay

    933 Words  | 2 Pages

    In some way, shape, or form energy is one of the several reasons why there is an existence of life on earth. Cellular respiration and Photosynthesis form a cycle of that energy and matter to support the daily functions that allow organisms to live. Photosynthesis is often seen to be one of the most important life processes on Earth. Photosynthesis is a process by which plants use the energy of sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose so other organisms can use it as food and energy. It changes light energy into chemical energy and releases oxygen. This way organisms can stay alive and have the energy to function. Chlorophyll is an organelle generally found in plants, it generates oxygen as a result too. As you can see without

    Read More

  • Light and Photosynthesis

    1268 Words  | 3 Pages

    Photosynthesis is a process in plants that converts light energy into chemical energy, which is stored in bonds of sugar. The process occurs in the chloroplasts, using chlorophyll. Photosynthesis takes place in green leaves. Glucose is made from the raw materials, carbon dioxide, water, light energy and oxygen is given off as a waste product. In these light-dependent reactions, energy is used to split electrons from suitable substances such as water, producing oxygen. In plants, sugars are produced by a later sequence of light-independent reactions called th...

    Read More

  • Photosynthetic Pigments Essay

    1553 Words  | 4 Pages

    Photosynthetic pigments are essential for life because they allow photosynthesis to occur by capturing sunlight which is then used alongside carbon dioxide and water to form organic compounds such as glucose and oxygen. The pigments allow the conversion of light energy to chemical energy which other organisms can benefit from. Oxygen is utilised by other organisms in aerobic respiration. The different pigments present in the chloroplasts allow a wide variety of wavelengths of light to be absorbed for efficient photosynthesis and provide colours to the plant to attract pollinators.

    Read More

  • The Importance Of Photosynthesis

    900 Words  | 2 Pages

    Photosynthesis is the process in which living cells from plants and other organisms use sunlight to produce nutrients from carbon dioxide and water, the image below “Diagram of photosynthesis 1,” helps show this process. Photosynthesise generally creates oxygen as a by-product through the use of the green pigment, chlorophyll, found in the plant that helps this reaction occur. “Photosynthesis provides us with most of the oxygen we need in order to breathe. We, in turn, exhale the carbon dioxide needed by plants,” (factmonster,2017). This is able to show us why photosynthesis is so greatly needed to occur through plants in order to give one another essentials needed for continuity of life. “Plants perform photosynthesis because it generates the food and energy they need for growth and cellular respiration,” (photosynthesieeducation, 2016).

    Read More

More about The Importance of Photosynthesis and What It Does for Life

Open Document