What is the process by which plants make their own food?

Plants create their own food through a process called photosynthesis. During this process, plants take in carbon dioxide from the air and water from the soil. Using sunlight as an energy source, they convert these raw materials into glucose, a type of sugar that serves as food for the plant. This process occurs mainly in the leaves, where chlorophyll, the green pigment in plants, captures sunlight.

In addition to producing glucose, photosynthesis also releases oxygen, which is crucial for the survival of many living organisms. This dual role of converting solar energy into chemical energy and generating oxygen makes photosynthesis a vital process in Earth's ecosystem, supporting not only plant life but also the animal life that depends on plants for oxygen and food. Understanding photosynthesis is fundamental to biology and ecology as it explains how energy flows through the environment.