Transcript Trees and Forests – The Leaf: Our Oxygen Factory

Trees and Forests – The Leaf: Our
Oxygen Factory
Science 6
Mrs. DeForge
Video: The World of Plants:
Plants and People
What is Photosynthesis?
Carbon dioxide + water + chlorophyll = sugar + oxygen
(CO2)
+ (H2O) + chlorophyll = (C6H12O6) + O2
 Trees take in carbon dioxide and water and combine
them to make sugars and starches.
 To make sugars and starches, the tree requires energy
which the plant gets by trapping solar energy (from
the sun) in the green pigment called chlorophyll
 This energy is then used in photosynthesis and
becomes trapped in the sugar molecules.
 Chlorophyll is used over and over again to trap light
energy for making food.
What is Photosynthesis?
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The process by which trees make
sugars is called photosynthesis.
“Photo” refers to the light which is
required and “synthesis” means “to
make”.
The food (carbohydrates) is used to
grow leaves, stems, roots, woody
tissue, fruits and nuts.
The O2 produced is a by-product
(something extra), is put back into the
atmosphere and used by organisms, in
the process of cellular respiration, to
produce energy for their own use.
Video: The World of Plants:
Photosynthesis
Carbon Dioxide – Oxygen
Cycle
Carbon dioxide is a “waste” gas
produced by animals and
decomposers.
 These living things require energy
to live, and the food they consume
is “burned” to produce this
energy.
 This process is called respiration.
O2 + food = energy + CO2
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