Food in plants is synthesized in leaves hence they are often termed as food factories of the plant. Food production in leaves is as follows:
- Minerals and water in the soil is absorbed by roots and transported to leaves
- Atmospheric carbon dioxide enters the plants through stomata(small openings on the leaf surface)
- Leaves contain the pigment chlorophyll which helps the plant to capture solar energy which is used to synthesize food from water and carbon dioxide. This process of synthesis of food in the presence of sunlight is known as photosynthesis.
The process of photosynthesis can be represented as below in the presence of chlorophyll and sunlight
Carbon dioxide + water → carbohydrates + oxygen
