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We know that all living organisms consume some form of nutrients to sustain life. Animals consume plants or other animals. Plants consume carbon dioxide and water from the environment to produce food.
Therefore, the process of taking in a source of energy (food) from outside the body of an organism to inside is known asnutrition.
Do you know what mode of nutrition is carried out in plants?Plants have anautotrophicmode of nutrition. The term autotrophic is derived from the Greek word Automeaning self and trophmeaning nutrition.
In this mode of nutrition, plants prepare or synthesize their own food with the help of inorganic raw materials. Thus, they are known asautotrophs.
Let us explore how plants prepare their own food.
Photosynthesis
Energy is essential for all life processes. All living organisms require nutrition. What is the ultimate source of nutrition on Earth?
Thesunis the ultimate source of energy on Earth. Energy from the sun is captured by plants and converted into usable form. Thus, the origin of all foods is the food prepared by plants. This food is also consumed by animals.
Autotrophs such as green plants and some bacteria prepare or synthesize their own food. They are capable of trapping solar energy with the help of a green pigment calledchlorophyll. This trapped solar energy is then converted into chemical energy of food using CO2and H2O.
Photosynthesisis the process by which chlorophyll-containing cells synthesize food in the form of carbohydrates, carbon dioxide, and water using sunlight.
Therefore, the raw materials required for photosynthesis are CO2and H2O and the products formed are carbohydrates and O2.
Hence, the process can be represented as:
Let us discuss the raw materials required for photosynthesis.
How are raw materials consumed by plants?
The raw materials required for photosynthesis are CO2and H2O and the products formed are carbohydrates and O2.
Entry of raw materials
- Plants obtain water through their roots. Water is then transported to all plant parts with the help of thexylem.
- Exchange of gases (entry of CO2and release of O2) occurs through the stomata.
Stomataare tiny pores present mainly on the surface of leaves. They are also present on the surface of young stems and roots.
Stomata consist of a stomatal opening or stoma, which is surrounded by two distinct epidermal cells known asguard cells. The opposing inner walls of the guard cells are thick and inelastic. The remaining walls are thin and elastic.
How do plants control the opening and closing of the stomata?
Two phases of photosynthesis
The process of photosynthesis occurs in two phases thelight reactionsand thedark reactions.
Light reactions As the name suggests, this reaction takes place in the presence of light. Light energy is absorbed by chlorophyll molecules and is utilized for splitting water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen. Additionally in this phase, assimilatory power in the form of ATP and NADPH2are produced.
Light reactions occur in the membranes of thylakoids.
Events occurring during light reactions:
- Absorption of light energy by chlorophyll molecules
- Splitting of water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen atoms
- Formation of ATP and NADPH2
Dark reactions This reaction does not require direct light and occurs in the stroma of chloroplasts. During this phase, ATP and NADPH2(formed during light reactions) are utilized for the reduction of CO2to carbohydrates (food).
Event occurring during dark reaction:
Reduction of CO2to form carbohydrates
Some interesting facts:
-
Do you know that the total amount of O2produced by an area of trees per year is equal to the amount consumed by around 18 people annually!
-
One tree produces nearly 260 pounds of O2annually.
- Hydrogen is a clean fuel. Some green algae such asChlamydomonas reinhardtiiare being cultured to convert water into O2and H2. This mass production of hydrogen could prove to be beneficial, but is still under research.
Global warming
Do you know that global warming can be reduced by growing more plants?
Green plants, as we know, utilize CO2and water to produce food and in the process, release O2gas. Thus, green plants help in reducing the amount of CO2in the atmosphere. CO2is a green house gas, which is one of the reasons for global warming.
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