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Most of the metabolic processes take place in plants require energy. These
processes include absorption of mineral salts from soil, cell growth and division,
photosynthesis and respiration (Njoku, 1998).
Photosynthesis comes from two Greek words; photo means light and
synthesis mean putting together (Alvin Silverstein, Virginia Silverstein and Laura
Silverstein Nunn, 2008). Photosynthesis is a natural process by which plants convert
solar energy from the sun into useful chemical energy for food. It involves oxidation-
reduction reaction which take place in chloroplast. Green plants contain
photosynthetic pigments such as chlorophylls and carotenoids which absorb light.
All living things used energy produced from photosynthesis. Green plants act
as producer that convert light energy into chemical energy which stored in food.
Living organisms need plants for food as well as oxygen. Photoautotroph means
plants that able to synthesize food directly from inorganic compounds using light
energy. The energy for photosynthesis comes from absorbed photons in light and
involves a reducing agent, in this case water. Molecular oxygen is released as
product while carbon dioxide being removed from air. Not only green plants, algae
and chlorophyll containing bacteria undergo photosynthesis which convert carbon
dioxide ( CO2 ) to organic material by reduce it to carbohydrate which known as
glucose. Oxidation of organic compounds released stored energy to be utilised to
carry out essential metabolic processes by organisms.
Reference
Njoku. 1998. Chapter 7: Respiration in Plants. Basic Biology. 1st Edition. Adson
Educational Publishers.
Spoehr, H.A., McGee, J.M., 1923. Studies in Plant Respiration and Photosynthesis.
Carnegie Institution of Washington.