Question

What is happening on the Sun at the time of photosynthesis?

Photosynthesis is the process in which plants convert sunlight into food. While photosynthesis may require several chemical reactions within the plant, the Sun itself plays no active role. The Sun shines just the same, burning its fuel of hydrogen without regard to anything happening on Earth. The Earth is so tiny compared to the Sun (a million Earths could fit inside it!) that any Earth processes, whether biological or geological, could not have a significant effect on the Sun. You may be asking what happens to sunlight at the time of photosynthesis. In short, the plant uses tiny pieces of sunlight, called photons, to power two different chemical reactions. One of these reactions uses photons to split water, producing oxygen (the part of air we breathe) and electrons. The second reaction uses these electrons to produce plant food and ultimately all the parts of the plant, such as cells, stems, and leaves.
November 1, 2001