Question

Explain the process of production of food in plants.

Answer 1

Leaves are the food factories of plants. They are the sites where the synthesis of food occurs in plants. The leaves of plants contain a green pigment called chlorophyll. This pigment captures the sun’s energy, which is used to prepare food from carbon dioxide and water. The process of synthesis of food using sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water is known as photosynthesis. During the process of photosynthesis, the leaves containing chlorophyll convert carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates in the presence of sunlight. Carbohydrates, which are produced during photosynthesis, are ultimately converted into starch to be stored in plants. This process can be represented in the form of the following equation:

\[\ce{6CO2 + 6H2O ->[Chlorophyll][sunlight] \underset{(Glucose)}{C6H12O6} + 6O2}\]