1. The Secret of Life

2. All living things need food.
Some animals eat plants, some eat other animals –
and some eat both.
All living things need food. Some animals eat plants, some eat other animals and some eat both.

3. Food contains the chemical energy
the body uses
Food contains the chemical energy that the body uses to do things like running, thinking, and growing. For example, this boy is using the chemical energy he got from his breakfast to run across the arena.
to do things –
like run, think and grow.

4. Where do they get the chemical energy they need to live and grow?
Trees and other plants don’t eat food.
Where do they get the chemical energy they need to live and grow?
Trees and other green plants don’t “eat” food. Where do they get the chemical energy they need to live and grow?

5. } Photosynthesis the process plants use to make food
Plants make their own food using a process called photosynthesis.

6. Plants use water, carbon dioxide and sunlight
AIR
SUNLIGHT
In photosynthesis, plants use water, carbon dioxide and sunlight to make a sugar called glucose. Glucose stores chemical energy they need.
WATER
to make a sugar called glucose,
which contains the chemical energy they need.

7. The water used for photosynthesis is in the soil.•
The water used for photosynthesis is in the soil.
The water used for photosynthesis is in the soil. It travels up from the roots to the leaves.
Water gets to the leaves via the roots.

8. Plants use carbon dioxide from the air to make glucose.•
Plants use carbon dioxide from the air to make glucose.
The carbon dioxide that plants use for photosynthesis enters the leaves from the air surrounding the plant.

9. Photosynthesis occurs in the plant cells in the leaves.
Once carbon dioxide and water have entered the cells of the leaves, photosynthesis can occur.
Let’s take a closer look at what happens inside leaves.

10. •
Sunlight energy hits the chlorophyll found in the cells which splits the water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen.
When sunlight hits a leaf, light energy splits the water molecules into hydrogen and oxygen atoms

11. In the process, the carbon dioxide molecules are split into carbon and oxygen atoms.•
The light energy also splits carbon dioxide molecules into carbon and oxygen atoms.

12. The atoms from these raw materials recombine to form
a glucose molecule:
6 Carbon
Dioxide
6 Water
1 glucose
The atoms from these two raw materials, (water and carbon dioxide) recombine to form a glucose molecule. The carbon atoms from carbon dioxide form a chain. Hydrogen and oxygen atoms attach to specific places on the carbon chain.
6 oxygen
The carbon atoms form a chain with
hydrogen and oxygen atoms attached to it.

13. The products of photosynthesis are glucose and oxygen.
Oxygen Bubbles 
As each glucose molecule is formed, oxygen molecules not needed to build glucose are released into the air. This is important because this process adds oxygen to the air we breathe.
Oxygen molecules not needed to build glucose are released into the air.
This adds oxygen to the air we breathe.

14. The photosynthesis equation is:
+ 6CO H2O C6H12O O2
+ carbon + water glucose + oxygen
dioxide
Sunlight
The process of photosynthesis can be represented as an equation. (Read through the equation translating symbols into words.) The equation shows that it takes 6 carbon dioxide molecules and 6 water molecules to make one glucose molecule, and that 6 oxygen molecules are left over and released into the air.

15. In photosynthesis light energy is transformed into chemical energy in the form of glucose.
The glucose molecules formed during photosynthesis store the chemical energy that plants need to grow bigger, bloom, and produce fruit.
The glucose molecules formed during photosynthesis store the chemical energy that plants need to grow, bloom, and produce fruit.

16. the process plants use to release energy stored in glucose molecules
Respiration
the process plants use to release energy stored in glucose molecules }
Plants make their own food using a process called photosynthesis.

17. NOTICE ANYTHING? E + 6CO2 + 6H2O C6H12O6 + 6O2
Photosynthesis
+ carbon + water glucose + oxygen
dioxide
Sunlight
C6H12O O CO H2O +
Respiration
glucose + oxygen carbon + water +
dioxide E
Energy
NOTICE ANYTHING?
The process of photosynthesis can be represented as an equation. (Read through the equation translating symbols into words.) The equation shows that it takes 6 carbon dioxide molecules and 6 water molecules to make one glucose molecule, and that 6 oxygen molecules are left over and released into the air.

18. When oxygen combines with glucose • • • •
When oxygen combines with glucose
it splits apart and energy is released
water
carbon
dioxide
When oxygen combines with glucose, the glucose molecule splits apart and energy is released.
After the reaction, all that is left are the 6 water and 6 carbon dioxide molecules that were originally used to make the glucose. The carbon dioxide is released into the air and the excess water evaporates off the leaves. If there is a lot of excess water, you can sometimes see water drops on the leaves.
– and what’s left is:
carbon dioxide and water.

19. Plants respire during the day and at night.

20. •
The energy released when glucose breaks down into water and carbon dioxide is the energy that plants use to grow and repair themselves.
The energy released when glucose breaks down into water and carbon dioxide is the energy plants use to grow and repair themselves.