Plants Trap Sunlight

But in what way does this big star, whirling through space, and millions of miles away, affect us more personally? Well, it gives us the food we eat and the air we breathe. How so?

It is by the process known as photosynthesis. This word comes from “photos,” meaning “light,” and “synthesis” or “a putting together.” It occurs when green plants use the energy from sunlight to put together foodstuffs from carbon dioxide and water. This food produced is in the form of carbohydrates. At the same time the oxygen in the water is released as free oxygen gas. So, not only our food but also the oxygen in the air we breathe is made available by photosynthesis.

Another factor very necessary to life is warmth and, as we have seen, our sun is hot enough to keep us all warm. Its lifegiving powers are most evident in the spring when heat from the sun’s rays penetrates the frozen earth and wakes the tiny seedlings, bringing their little green noses pushing above ground. The amount of heat that comes to the landmass has an all-important effect on what can grow there. No important vegetation is possible, for example, in places such as the Arctic, where the average temperature of the warmest month stays below 42°F.

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Without the sun there would be no food to eat, for plants use the sun’s radiant energy to manufacture food