Importance of Photosynthesis on Earth

  1. Carbon Dioxide and Photosynthesis

    • Plants obtain energy from sunlight and use it to convert carbon dioxide into energy-rich carbohydrates like glucose. This begins when small pores on the underside of the plant's leaves called stomata open to allow carbon dioxide to enter its cells. Inside organelles within the cells called chloroplasts, carbon dioxide combines with water from the plant's roots to form glucose and oxygen.

    Oxygen and Life on Earth

    • The oxygen released as a waste product of photosynthesis is a vital resource for respiration. Plants and other organisms convert oxygen back to carbon dioxide through respiration. The carbon dioxide released into the atmosphere is then available again for photosynthesis. This cycle allows organisms to survive on Earth.

    Glucose and Life on Earth

    • Plants use some of the glucose produced from carbon dioxide and water during photosynthesis for growth and reproduction during their life. According to Raymond Lindeman, 15 to 70 percent of a plant's energy is put to this use. In 1942 Lindeman was the first to realize that this burned energy is not available to the herbivores that consume the plant.

    Primary Production

    • The energy that is transferred to the animal that consumes a plant is partially used up in growth and maintenance of the animal. That energy is also unavailable to the predator that consumes the herbivore. The energy that is consumed, as Lindeman pointed out, is between 5 and 20 percent of the prey's total assimilated energy. Because the energy assimilated during photosynthesis is the first made available to organisms on Earth, photosynthetic organisms are called primary producers. The rate of their energy assimilation is referred to as their primary productivity.

    Human Impact

    • Loss of plant life on Earth through activities like logging or land development pose a threat to the primary production of the Earth. Without enough plant life, oxygen and energy in the form of carbohydrates will dissipate. People can take measures to balance the development of land and rate of photosynthesis. These may include planting trees in the place of those destroyed and practicing selective logging, in which forests are carefully cultivated in a way that promotes new growth.
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