Photosynthesis is the process by which autotrophs like plants, algae, and some bacteria use sunlight to produce carbohydrates as food. Autotrophs are living things that can capture energy from sunlight or chemicals to make their own food, while heterotrophs like humans get food by consuming or eating other organisms. During photosynthesis, autotrophs use the sun's energy to produce carbohydrates as food, and all life on Earth relies on autotrophs to obtain energy from the sun through photosynthesis.
2. Vocabulary
• ATP (adenosine triphosphate) – a
cell’s way of storing energy
• ATP can easily release and store
energy by breaking and re-forming
bonds between phosphate groups
• Pg. 193
3. Vocabulary
• Autotrophs – living things that can
capture energy from sunlight or
chemicals to make its own food
–Example - plants
• Heterotrophs – living things that get
food by consuming, or eating
–Example - humans
4. Photosynthesis
• Process by which autotrophs use the
sun’s energy to produce
carbohydrates
• Plants, algae, and some bacteria can
use photosynthesis to make their
own food
• All life on earth depends on
autotrophs to get energy from the
