Photosynthesis is the process plants use to make their own food, using chlorophyll in their leaves to absorb sunlight. The sunlight is combined with water, carbon dioxide, and nutrients from the soil, which the chlorophyll then processes to make sugars and oxygen. Plants and animals depend on each other to survive, as animals produce the carbon dioxide plants need for photosynthesis and plants produce the oxygen and food that animals need.

1. Photosynthesis
Grade 4 Science
SOL 4.4

2. What is photosynthesis?
• Process plants use to make their
own food
• Plants’ leaves contain chlorophyll
• Chlorophyll (green color) makes
photosynthesis possible

3. The chlorophyll absorbs the
sunlight.

4. The sunlight is combined with water,
Carbon Dioxide and nutrients from
the soil.
CO2

5. The chlorophyll processes the
ingredients and makes sugarsugar (plant
food) and oxygen.
SugarSugar + Air
O2

6. Plants and animals need
each other to survive.

7. Animals including humans
make the CO2 (carbon
dioxide) plants need.
They (the plants) make the
O2 (oxygen) and food we
need.