Give a brief description of the process of synthesis of food in green plants.

The process by which green plants make their food in the presence of sunlight and chlorophyll with the help of inorganic substances like carbon dioxide and water, is called photosynthesis.

(b) The process of photosynthesis can be represented as:

Carbon dioxide + water Carbohydrates + Oxygen

The process of photosynthesis takes place in the green leaves of a plant. Plants need carbon dioxide and water for the process of photosynthesis. Plants take carbon dioxide from the air. Carbon dioxide enters the leaves through tiny pores present on the leaves’ surface called stomata. Plants take water from the soil through their roots.

The sunlight provides energy required to carry out the chemical reactions involved in the preparation of food. This sunlight energy is absorbed by the green pigment called chlorophyll.

Schematic diagram showing photosynthesis

The food prepared in the plant by the process of photosynthesis is glucose (a carbohydrate) then it gets stored in plant leaves in the form of starch. The presence of starch in leaves indicates the occurrence of photosynthesis. The starch is also a carbohydrate. During the process, oxygen gas is released.