Chlorophyll: How Trees Turn Sunlight into Food
Susan Mates
3 days ago
1 min read
Chlorophyll is the pigment that gives most leaves their familiar green color. It is found inside tiny structures called chloroplasts in leaf cells. Its important job is to absorb light.
Energy captured from sunlight starts a sequence of chemical reactions. Using that energy, the tree takes carbon dioxide from the air and water from the soil and builds energy-rich carbohydrates. That stored solar energy fuels almost everything the tree does: growing roots and branches, making wood, producing flowers and seeds, repairing damage and defending itself.
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