Which process describes how plants convert sunlight into chemical energy?

• A. Respiration
• B. Photosynthesis
• C. Transpiration
• D. Digestion

Answer: (B)

Photosynthesis is how plants turn light from the sun into chemical energy stored in glucose. In this process, chlorophyll in plant cells captures sunlight and uses that energy to combine carbon dioxide from the air with water from the soil to make glucose, a stored form of chemical energy. Oxygen is released as a byproduct. The energy stored in the chemical bonds of glucose can later fuel the plant’s growth and activities. The other processes don’t describe this energy-collecting step: respiration is about using stored chemical energy to release usable energy for the plant, transpiration is the loss of water vapor from leaves, and digestion is breaking down food.