Photosynthesis: Light, Water and Oxygen for Plants - Essay Sample

Introduction

Like the rest of living beings, plants also consume oxygen, that way, while there is sunlight, they breathe, besides expelling it to the environment through photosynthesis. It is first important to point out a series of principles without which it would be impossible for photosynthesis:

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Light: Water is one of the fundamental elements because plants extract from it the energy necessary for the realization of photosynthesis. In this case, the leaves perform a function similar to solar panels because they absorb energy from light and thus convert it into energy, both caloric and electrical (in the case of solar panels).

Water: As in most chemical reactions, water is indispensable as it is an element where solutions are made. That is why it is so important for all living beings, because in all millions of chemical reactions that allow life are carried out daily.

Carbon dioxide: This element is absorbed by the plant through stomata (a kind of holes found in the leaves, through which the exchange between the inside and outside of it occurs), and is a very necessary component in photosynthesis because together with water, they will form carbohydrates.

The temperature: The ideal temperature for life is set between 20-30 C, although in some cases, we know that plants can perform this activity between 0-50 C, depending on the species of each one, and conditions environmental that can withstand. Without an adequate temperature, the chemical process cannot be carried out.

Chlorophyll is responsible for absorbing sunlight; this is pure energy, which is converted inside the plant into chemical energy. With the help of this, it will transform carbon dioxide (CO2), minerals, and water (H2O) into carbohydrates (CH2O). During this chemical transformation, large amounts of oxygen (O2) will appear, and plants release them to the environment.

Thanks to photosynthesis, plants release oxygen to the environment that people breathe and live. That is why it is so necessary that the forests and plants be conserved since they are the lungs that the earth has, without them, human beings would not have life (Dusenge, Duarte, & Way, 2019). Besides, they are an excellent air filter for human beings, since they eliminate carbon dioxide from the environment, a very important fact, because nowadays and especially in cities, the air is very vitiated with the expulsions of said substance into the air caused by the emission caused by the gases of vehicles and other machines. It is, therefore, essential to have green places within the cities themselves as they will be air filtration elements that will help to have a better life for the rest of living beings.

Green plants have an important role in the development of life. Not only do they help in generating oxygen, but there are also other areas in which their contribution is essential. They maintain the balance of atmospheric gases. Thanks to photosynthesis, the oxygen consumed in breathing and combustion can be replaced, avoiding the increase in carbon dioxide that could eventually harm us.

They are the basis of food for many living organisms. The life cycle begins thanks to plants, because everything we eat, both people and animals, comes in some way or another from them. In the case of the human diet, it is known that approximately 7 thousand species have been used as food throughout history, although only 200 are grown domestically. Besides, 9 of them are considered essential: rice, potatoes, sugar cane, beans, corn, bananas, sorghum, soybeans, and wheat.

They also have medicinal properties. Since ancient times, many of the medicines used come directly from plants. According to the Food and Agriculture Organization of the United Nations (FAO), the use of medicinal plants is still common in Central America, both for internal consumption and for export. As if that were not enough, many chemicals are extracted from them to be used in the production of drugs.

Plants also function as building material, for example, bamboo that is increasingly common in buildings, or palm leaves that are used for roofs, or many others. They are also used to generate energy through combustion and to produce paper (Wenzel et al., 2016). Lastly, plants also protect the soil. The decomposition of organic matter, mostly plants, allowed the soil to obtain the necessary nutrients for agriculture. Besides, the roots hold the earth, preventing erosion and thereby preventing accidents such as landslides or desertification.

The current deforestation has caused carbon absorption to decrease more and more, which has caused the atmosphere to warm up, and therefore changes in climate are more drastic.

To understand the importance of photosynthesis is to accept that all living beings are deeply related, in a perfect balance where plants are fundamental. It is in our hands to take care of them to prevent climate change and everything that derives from it from continuing to happen.

References

Dusenge, M. E., Duarte, A. G., & Way, D. A. (2019). Plant carbon metabolism and climate change: elevated CO 2 and temperature impacts on photosynthesis, photorespiration, and respiration. New Phytologist, 221(1), 32-49. https://doi.org/10.1111/nph.15283

Wenzel, S., Cox, P. M., Eyring, V., & Friedlingstein, P. (2016). Projected land photosynthesis constrained by changes in the seasonal cycle of atmospheric CO2. Nature, 538(7626), 499. https://doi.org/10.1038/nature19772