Cribsheet #10: Photosynthesis § SEEDMAGAZINE.COM

Cribsheet #10: Photosynthesis

May 30, 2007

Seed's Downloadable Tool for Living in the 21st Century

Scientific issues and innovations are figuring into everyday conversation more than ever before. Recognizing that we could all use some brushing up, Seed offers its Cribsheet.

Photosynthesis

Through the process of photosynthesis, plants, algae, and bacteria use sunlight to convert water and carbon dioxide into the oxygen and food that sustain much of life on Earth. This Cribsheet covers the basics of photosynthesis: where it happens, how light is used in the process, and why we think photosynthesis may have triggered the rise of complex life. In addition, we tell you why plants are green and how photosynthesis could temper climate change—if rainforests and oceanic ecosystems aren’t destroyed.

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Illustrator: Thomas Porostocky; Writer: Lee Billings; Map data adapted from MODIS observations by NASA’s Terra and Aqua satellites; Graph data and reference: Biology, 4th ed., Neil A. Campbell, Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Company, 1996

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