How do plants make food? God designed a special process called photosynthesis. Photosynthesis? What does that mean? Basically, it means putting together with light. Photo means light, and synthesis means to put together.
I will tell you how it works in a moment, but first you need to know about Stomata. Stoma is a Greek word that means mouth, and Stomata are like little leaf mouths. You didn’t know leafs had mouths, did you? Well, they do. There are lots of them on the bottom of every leaf, and they open every morning and close every evening (because plants don’t do photosynthesis at night). Their job is to absorb a chemical called Carbon Dioxide from the air, and to release oxygen from the plant. Oxygen is a product of photosynthesis. Stomata also absorb harmful chemicals from the air so we don’t have to breathe them.
Plants must have sugar to eat in order to live, and that sugar is made right inside the leaf! This is the process of photosynthesis. Water from the roots and Carbon Dioxide from the air are combined inside the leaf to make sugar for the plant. This is done with energy taken from the sun. Then this sap runs down to the rest of the plant.
In order for a leaf to be able to do photosynthesis, a special substance called chlorophyll absorbs the sunlight, and then changes it into something usable for the plant. Chlorophyll is what makes leaves green. In the fall when leaves turn different colors it is because they are dying and losing their chlorophyll, so you can see their true colors.
