G8 Photosynthesis (On Grade) – 02

You just finished soccer practice and a large plate of pasta with a side-salad sounds really good. Being a top athlete requires you to think about the food you eat. A top athlete can require as much as 2000-3000 calories per day. You must also think about not just how many calories you consume, but the quality of those calories. According to the USDA, everyone should eat a healthy diet that includes a mix of grains, fruits and vegetables, meats, and dairy.

On your way home, you think about what you need to do tonight before you get to have dinner. You are confident that when you get home, Bernie, your giant St. Bernard dog will want his dinner. While Bernie is eating his dinner, you usually take that time to give the cat, Isabel, her food. As soon as Bernie is finished eating you both go outside to conquer your next chore. It’s also your turn to water the garden this week. Standing there watching the water spray over the garden, with your stomach growling loudly, you think about how plants get their energy. What do they do when they get hungry?

Plants are considered producers, also known as autotrophs, and are able to make their own food. Plants also produce the “food” for other organisms, like you, but how does this happen? Plants are the only organism on Earth that can do this.

The magic of making food happens in a plant’s leaves, which act like little food factories. The ingredients are brought in, such as water, carbon dioxide and other nutrients from the soil. These nutrients are made into the kind of food a plant needs to grow and reproduce. To make food, the plant also takes energy, but where do you think the energy comes from? The leaves of the plant take in energy from the Sun, like little solar panels that convert sunlight into electricity. While leaves do not create electricity, they do provide the energy that drives the photosynthesis process.