Photosynthesis

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Photosynthesis
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NatureWorks
New Hampshire Public Television

Energize!
Duck Plants use a process called photosynthesis to make food. During photosynthesis, plants trap light energy with their leaves. Plants use the energy of the sun to change water and carbon dioxide into a sugar called glucose. Glucose is used by plants for energy and to make other substances like cellulose and starch. Cellulose is used in building cell walls. Starch is stored in seeds and other plant parts as a food source. That's why some foods that we eat, like rice and grains, are packed with starch!

True Colors
Most plants contain a special colored chemical or pigment called chlorophyll that is used in photosynthesis. Chlorophyll is what absorbs the sun's energy and turns it into chemical energy. Not all the light energy from the sun is absorbed.

Sunlight has many different colors in it. Chlorophyll usually absorbs red and blue light from the sun and reflects green light. It's the green light reflecting that makes some leaves look green! In the fall, some plants stop producing chlorophyll and we see leaves change color. With the chlorophyll gone, the green light is not being reflected anymore!