It is unlikely that any of us, observing the world around us, thought about the fact that each green leaf on a tree or bush represents an amazing, in fact, spontaneous laboratory, one of the most mysterious and wonderful of all that exists on Earth. The fact is that in this sheet almost every second, until the light of the Sun hits it, the great dream comes true not only of biochemists, science fiction writers, but also of every person: the creation of living from non-living occurs. Indeed, it seems truly surprising that only a green plant without any ultramodern technologies and devices can create living matter. Therefore, it is not an exaggeration to say that this process - the process of photosynthesis - is a real and unique “creativity of life” nowhere else. This creation begins with the work of a sun ray enclosed in a plant. This complex biochemical process is a process of photosynthesis.
We know about photosynthesis from the school curriculum and other sources. We know that the materials necessary to reproduce the process of photosynthesis are extremely simple: carbon dioxide, water, solar energy. But behind them, various salt solutions come into play, which are delivered by the roots of the plant from the soil.
All the vegetation around us, all the fauna, finally, ourselves (people) are ordinary consumers of wonderful green cuisine.
Predators eat herbivores, those, in turn, plants. Thus, a process occurs in which everyone lives off of the nutrition that is prepared by green plants.
In a word, green plants are common “breadwinners”. However, this should not be limited, because we should not forget about the air that we breathe. After all, these are plants and the process of photosynthesis that occurs in them, through chemical transformations, leads to the release of pure oxygen. And we can quite confidently assume that the oxygen in the air as one of its components is provided to us by green plants. In fact, for millions of years, plant cells have created this flying shell of the globe - an atmosphere without which life is simply impossible. Indeed, with great difficulty one can imagine what the Earth would be if there were no plants on it, and therefore not other living organisms and beings that are somehow connected with them.
Most likely, the Earth’s continents would resemble the surface of a desert planet, and all this would be shrouded in deadly carbon dioxide and caustic ammonia. So it would be if there were no plants on Earth and, therefore, life could not exist as such.
So what is the power that gives all this, and where is its source? The source of such power is our Sun. Green leaves, like solar mechanisms, concentrate solar energy in themselves. And then work begins on Earth, during which the sunbeam turns into a green leaf in the strength of all life surrounding us.
So, we can say this: the energy of the Sun was “landed” in a certain way by green plants, and then with its help they began to shape life on Earth itself.
So, without resorting to accurate and rather obscure scientific formulations, the general characteristic of photosynthesis may look like.
It can only occur on an intact sheet. This can be seen if rolling the glass rod under slight pressure on the surface of a living, green sheet (i.e., damaging its internal structure without any noticeable external changes) - photosynthesis will stop immediately.
Many discoveries of natural science were obtained by very simple, uncomplicated experiments. And with the same simple experiments, great scientific truths can be proved again and again.
Van-Helmont, Frederick Blackman, K.A. Timiryazev substantiated their theories on the fact that green leaves in the light (that is, when a sunbeam falls on them) absorb carbon dioxide from the air and emit oxygen into the atmosphere. With our own eyes, we can always make sure how the photosynthesis reaction occurs.
To do this, you need to place some green leaf twig in a glass jar (in winter it is also possible from a houseplant). Then exhale normally into this jar and immediately lower the burning match into the jar. We will see that the match instantly goes out.
Therefore, this happened because in the exhaled air there is a lot of carbon dioxide - about four and a half percent. And this gas, as we know, does not support combustion.
Let's continue the experiment. Without delay, we close the jar with a green twig with a dense, tight stopper so that the air outside cannot penetrate into it, and expose it to sunny or bright electric light. We repeat our actions with a match after a few hours. In this case, we will see that it, lowered into the bank, will not go out, but will burn. It becomes obvious that the air inside the jar with a green branch again became suitable for burning in it. This happened because carbon dioxide became less and more oxygen.
In such a simple way as it seems at first glance, life is supported.