How can plants make their food?

Plants obtain or make their food by the process of photosynthesis, which is done by the leaves of the plants.

Photosynthesis is a process by which plants make their own food in the presence of sunlight, carbon dioxide, water, minerals, and chlorophyll present in leaves.

Process:

1) Plants take up carbon dioxide from the atmosphere through the tiny pores known as stomata present on the surface of the leaves.

2) Plants absorb the water and minerals from the soil with the help of roots and transport them to the leaves of the plant where the synthesis of food takes place.

3) The green pigment, chlorophyll present in plant leaves, helps the leaves to capture sunlight. Sunlight is the source of energy to carry out photosynthesis.

4) In the presence of sunlight, chlorophyll acts on carbon dioxide, minerals, and water to produce carbohydrates. These carbohydrates are stored in the plant leaves in the form of energy.

5) The process of photosynthesis also releases oxygen into the atmosphere.

The reaction of photosynthesis process is commonly written as:

6CO2        +         6H2O        ------------------       C6H12O6         +      6O2

Carbon  dioxide               Water                                       Carbohydrates         Oxygen