Book 4, Question 6
Why Do Plants Need Sunlight?
Sunlight is a plant's power source. Without it, chlorophyll cannot make sugar, and the plant slowly runs out of food. So plants lean toward the light!
From the book
Page from A Million Whys Book 4
More fun facts
- Plants use sunlight, water and carbon dioxide to make their own food. This is called photosynthesis.
- Photosynthesis also makes oxygen, the gas we need to breathe.
- Plants take in carbon dioxide, which is what we breathe out.
- Almost all life on Earth depends on photosynthesis.
- Some flowers, like poppies, angle their flowers and leaves toward the Sun to catch as much light as possible.
- Scientists are even working on a kind of photosynthesis that could run on electricity instead of sunlight.
Sources: BBC, Science News Explores, Science News Explores
Questions kids ask
Can plants grow without light?
Plants need light to make food. Scientists are testing new ways to grow plants in the dark, but ordinary plants need light.