Forest102 / Photosynthesis and Communication among Trees

Photo means light and synthesis means to combine. Plants, algae, and some organisms use solar energy to produce the nutrients necessary for their survival. Plants, using light as chemical energy, take carbon dioxide (CO) and water (H2O) from the air and soil during photosynthesis and use the energy of light to oxidize water, transforming water into oxygen and carbon dioxide into glucose in the cell. Afterwards, the plant releases this oxygen back into the air and stores energy in glucose molecules. This process occurs in the chlorophyll of the chloroplast organelle of the plant cell in the green leafy part of the plant. During photosynthesis, chlorophyll absorbs energy from blue and red light waves and reflects green light waves, making the plant appear green.

Forests create a communication network with the trees and their roots under the soil. They exchange information and nutrients through these communication channels, which occur through fungi growing in and around tree roots.