I think plant manufacture thier own foods by using the process of photosynthesis
How Plants Manufacture Their Foods?
I think plants manufacture their food through a process called photosynthesis.
The most likely thing for you to be talking about is the whole photosynthesis process.
Plants, much like any other eukaryotic organisms, are made of cells. The cells of plants in particular have organelles in them called chloroplasts... Adapted to serve as part of the cell since their integration in the late Precambrian.
As I'm sure you're aware, most plants are green... Usually more vividly green on top than on the underside of their leaves. This is due to the combination of photosynthetic pigments (primarily chlorophyll) that reside within those chloroplasts for photosynthesis. Non-green plants typically have different pigments, but they perform a similar function.
Plants will tend to be more vividly coloured on top because most of the photosynthesis takes place in specialised cells called Palisade cells which are lined over the upper surface of the leaf, just beneath the extremely thin epithelium. These palisade cells are rather deep and filled with an especially large number of chloroplasts... Hence the overabundance of green.
At least in the case of green plants, the pigments in the chloroplasts, when provided with water through the xylem of the leaf (having come up from the roots) and carbon dioxide from the surrounding atmosphere, will be exposed to the light and use the red and blue portions of the light spectrum (reflecting away the green) to energise a reaction between the two. Carbon from the Carbon Dioxide is combined primarily with the Hydrogen from the water to make simple glucose molecules... And the excess Oxygen is given off to the atmosphere again.
The glucose molecules can then be processed by other cells within the plant and polymerised to make more complex hydrocarbons such as starch (if its alpha-glucose) or cellulose (if beta-glucose). The starch (easily broken down) is typically stored as energy reserves for turning back via respiration later (often during the night when there is no sunlight)... While the cellulose (much tougher) is used as building material for the plant.
Of course... Theres more to plant 'food' than that. Most plants typically need a source of nitrates and phosphates at the very least (and many other less vital minerals typically) in order to grow effectively, not least since nitrates are essential for making amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) and phosphates are necessary for DNA and RNA production. Both of these are typically taken up through the roots, ionised in solution in the water. Some plants however have symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria capable of taking nitrogen out of the atmosphere and converting it into nitrates, which can then be used by the host plant... For that matter some nitrates are fixed in the air itself during lightning storms and can be taken up thence.
Plants, much like any other eukaryotic organisms, are made of cells. The cells of plants in particular have organelles in them called chloroplasts... Adapted to serve as part of the cell since their integration in the late Precambrian.
As I'm sure you're aware, most plants are green... Usually more vividly green on top than on the underside of their leaves. This is due to the combination of photosynthetic pigments (primarily chlorophyll) that reside within those chloroplasts for photosynthesis. Non-green plants typically have different pigments, but they perform a similar function.
Plants will tend to be more vividly coloured on top because most of the photosynthesis takes place in specialised cells called Palisade cells which are lined over the upper surface of the leaf, just beneath the extremely thin epithelium. These palisade cells are rather deep and filled with an especially large number of chloroplasts... Hence the overabundance of green.
At least in the case of green plants, the pigments in the chloroplasts, when provided with water through the xylem of the leaf (having come up from the roots) and carbon dioxide from the surrounding atmosphere, will be exposed to the light and use the red and blue portions of the light spectrum (reflecting away the green) to energise a reaction between the two. Carbon from the Carbon Dioxide is combined primarily with the Hydrogen from the water to make simple glucose molecules... And the excess Oxygen is given off to the atmosphere again.
The glucose molecules can then be processed by other cells within the plant and polymerised to make more complex hydrocarbons such as starch (if its alpha-glucose) or cellulose (if beta-glucose). The starch (easily broken down) is typically stored as energy reserves for turning back via respiration later (often during the night when there is no sunlight)... While the cellulose (much tougher) is used as building material for the plant.
Of course... Theres more to plant 'food' than that. Most plants typically need a source of nitrates and phosphates at the very least (and many other less vital minerals typically) in order to grow effectively, not least since nitrates are essential for making amino acids (the building blocks of proteins) and phosphates are necessary for DNA and RNA production. Both of these are typically taken up through the roots, ionised in solution in the water. Some plants however have symbiotic nitrogen-fixing bacteria capable of taking nitrogen out of the atmosphere and converting it into nitrates, which can then be used by the host plant... For that matter some nitrates are fixed in the air itself during lightning storms and can be taken up thence.