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# photosynthesis

noun (photosynthesis)

«photosynthesis» in the English dictionary: everyday — its meanings, how the lessons use it, and examples, each with its tree on Mova.

## Everyday

Photosynthesis is the way green plants make their own food using sunlight, water and carbon dioxide from the air, giving out oxygen. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/photosynthesis/#m1)

### In the lessons

In science lessons pupils learn the simple word equation: carbon dioxide + water → (with light, in chlorophyll) → glucose (sugar) + oxygen. It happens mainly in the leaves, in the green chlorophyll. Photosynthesis feeds almost all food chains and gives us the oxygen we breathe. A plant kept in the dark cannot photosynthesise and grows pale and weak. Phrases: plants carry out photosynthesis, needed for photosynthesis.

### Examples

- Plants make food by photosynthesis. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/photosynthesis/#x1)
- Photosynthesis needs sunlight, water and carbon dioxide. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/photosynthesis/#x2)
- Leaves are green because of chlorophyll, which traps light for photosynthesis. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/photosynthesis/#x3)
- Photosynthesis gives out oxygen. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/photosynthesis/#x4)
- A plant in a dark cupboard cannot carry out photosynthesis. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/photosynthesis/#x5)
- Almost all food chains start with photosynthesis. [tree →](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/photosynthesis/#x6)

### Note

Uncountable noun. «Photo» = light, «synthesis» = putting together. Verb: photosynthesise (UK) / photosynthesize (US). Myth: plants get their food from the soil — the soil gives water and minerals, but the plant's food (sugar) is made from air and water using light.

## On Mova

- [Trees and pragmatics of «photosynthesis» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/corpora/dictionaries/school/P/photosynthesis/): every meaning and example parsed by Mova, with its dependency tree and frames.
- [«photosynthesis» in the school dictionary](https://mova.elamur.ai/free/en/dictionaries/school/w/photosynthesis.html) on Mova free.