Importance of Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is the process through which plants provide oxygen to the planet and produce their own food, with the raw materials available to them.

Why should we care about photosynthesis?

Did you know that all living beings depend in some way on green plants? Thus, the process of photosynthesis is more important than it seems.

Thanks to light, plants are able to capture carbon dioxide and expel oxygen over time. throughout the day, while at night the opposite happens: they absorb oxygen and release carbon dioxide. carbon. Light-dependent reactions cause the plant to expel twice as much oxygen in the day, compared to the amount of carbon dioxide it releases when there is no light. This allows life to exist on Earth.

Oxygen is a fundamental substance for life, as it is necessary for not only pulmonary but also cellular respiration of organisms. Photosynthesis is responsible for our availability of the oxygen we need.

Process part of the construction of life

Although it is a concatenation of enzymatic steps of astonishing complexity, the

photosynthesis It can be summarized in a few steps. The fundamental data is the capture of the luminous energy coming from the Sun by means of a series of pigments, of which it stands out in particular chlorophyll. This molecule contains a magnesium atom located in such a way that solar photons are captured in small organelles present in plant cells, called chloroplasts. These photons provide the necessary energy for the plants to convert 2 inorganic molecules (the carbon dioxide produced as a waste product from respiration and the water obtained by environment through the roots) into organic molecules, of which the most common is glucose. As a consequence of this phenomenon, molecular oxygen is also released. In a synoptic way, the set of these reactions is synthesized in this equation:

6 CO2 (carbon dioxide) + 6 H2O (water) + light = C6H12O6 (glucose) + 6 O2 (oxygen)

Therefore, the energy coming from the Sun in the form of light (light energy) is transformed by the metabolic processes of photosynthesis into chemical energy, stored in organic molecules.

Since animals cannot perform photosynthesis, they are forced to directly consume these molecules from the intake of vegetables or other animals that have previously fed on vegetables. As final products of the degradation of organic molecules, carbon dioxide and water, necessary for the restart of the complete cycle, are returned to the ambient environment.

Therefore, the importance of photosynthesis resides in its condition as an indispensable energy source for the biosphere as a whole, as a unit integrated into the dynamics of the planet Earth.

What do green plants do for us?

Green plants play a very important role in the development of life. Not only do they help us generate oxygen, there are other areas in which their contribution is essential:

1. They maintain the balance of atmospheric gases. Thanks to photosynthesis, the oxygen consumed in respiration and combustion can be replaced, avoiding the increase in carbon dioxide that could harm us in the long run.

2. They are the basis of food for many living organisms. The life cycle begins thanks to plants, since everything we eat, both people and animals, comes from them in one way or another. In the case of the human diet, it is known that approximately 7,000 species have been used as food throughout history, although only 200 are cultivated domestically. In addition, 9 of them are considered essential: rice, potatoes, sugar cane, broad beans, corn, bananas, sorghum, soybeans, and wheat.

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

4. They function as material construction. Yes, we are talking about the wood with which houses, furniture and countless other things can be made, but also about the bamboo that is increasingly common in constructions, or palm leaves that are used for roofs, or many other others. They are also used to generate energy through combustion and to produce paper.

5. They protect the soil. the decomposition of organic matter, mostly plants, allowed the soil to obtain the necessary nutrients for agriculture. In addition, the roots hold the earth, avoiding erosion and with it, 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 heat up and therefore climate changes to be more drastic.

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

Photos: iStock – Fodor90 / Mykhailo Kaminskyi