1. Photosynthesis in Ecosystems

2. What is Photosynthesis?
With a partner at your table, discuss and write down what you think photosynthesis means.

3. What is Photosynthesis?
Photosynthesis is the process by which a cell of an autotroph captures the radiant energy in sunlight and uses it to make food.
*An autotroph is an organism with the ability to make it’s own food, like a plant.*

4. What is Photosynthesis?
There are 2 parts in a plant cell that are not present in an animal cell. Do you remember from 6th grade what those 2 parts are?
One of them functions as the part of the cell that captures sunlight and uses it to make food. Which one is that?

5. What is Photosynthesis?
Plant cells contain chloroplasts and a cell wall, while animal cells do not.
The chloroplasts give the plant the ability to make it’s
own food.

6. What is Photosynthesis?
Photosynthesis is a complex process that results in a chemical change.
During a chemical change, a new substance is formed.

7. What is Photosynthesis?
During photosynthesis, cells capture energy from sunlight and use it to change carbon-dioxide and water into oxygen and glucose (sugar).

8. What is Photosynthesis?
The chemical formula for photosynthesis:
sunlight
6 CO2 + 6 H2O → C6H12O6 + 6 O2
Which means:
Carbon dioxide + Water + → Glucose + Oxygen

9. What is Photosynthesis?
Carbon dioxide (from the atmosphere) and water (acquired by the roots from ground water) are called reactants or raw materials.
They are the materials the plant starts out with.
They react together,
along with sunlight,
to form a new substance.

10. What is Photosynthesis?
Oxygen and glucose are the products of this equation.
Products are the materials that are produced in the process.

11. What is Photosynthesis?
sunlight
6 CO2 + 6 H2O → C6H12O6 + 6 O2
Reactants products
Carbon dioxide + Water → Glucose + Oxygen
In a chemical formula, the reactants are on the left and the products are on the right.
In a chemical formula, the arrow is read as “yields”, which essentially means makes.

12. What is Photosynthesis?
With a partner discuss and write how the process of photosynthesis is similar to the process of baking a cake.

13. What is Photosynthesis?
Thinking back to 6th grade, what is an energy transformation?

14. What is Photosynthesis?
Energy transformation (or conversion) is the change from one type of energy to another.
Identify the energy transformations below:

15. What is Photosynthesis?
What type of energy does the sun give off?
What type of energy does a plant change this energy to?

16. What is Photosynthesis?
The sun gives off radiant (or solar) energy
During photosynthesis, a plant changes the sun’s radiant energy into chemical energy (glucose)
Energy transformation
Radiant energy to chemical energy
sunlight glucose