Where Does The Food That A Plant Needs Come From

Last Updated on November 7, 2022 by

Have you ever wondered “where does the food that a plant needs come from?”. I know, it’s a pretty obvious question. But, there’s more to this than most people realize. And before I get started, I want to apologize in case you’ve stumbled across this page and think that this is the beginning of an uncomfortable conversation about the food you eat or worse… your pets.

Have you ever wondered, “Where does the food that a plant needs come from?” Plants produce their own food in the form of glucose through photosynthesis.

Have you ever thought about where the food that a plant needs originates from? Plants don’t just grow food by themselves. In fact, plants need animals and they need humans to help them grow their vegetables and fruits. That may seem a bit confusing; however, if you’re willing to stick with me, I’m going to break down the process of how plants get their food.

Where Does The Food That A Plant Needs Come From

Plants need several things to make their own food.
They need:

  • chlorophyll, a green pigment found in the leaves of plants (see the layer of chlorophyll in the cross-section of a leaf below)

Chlorophyll

  • light (either natural sunlight or artificial light, like from a light bulb)
  • carbon dioxide (CO2)(a gas found in the air; one of the gases people and animals breathe out when they exhale)
  • water (which the plant collects through its roots)
  • nutrients and minerals (which the plant collects from the soil through its roots)

Plants make food in their leaves.  The leaves contain a pigment called chlorophyll, which colors the leaves green.  Chlorophyll can make food the plant can use from carbon dioxide, water, nutrients, and energy from sunlight.  This process is called photosynthesis.

Plant Needs

During the process of photosynthesis, plants release oxygen into the air.  People and animals need oxygen to breathe.

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