Effect on Plants,
Plant Growth, and Photosynthesis
Plants are unable to live without sunlight, it’s a
fact! All the food that we eat, not to mention the fossil fuels we burn
(petroleum etc.) are a product of photosynthesis.
Photosynthesis
is the process by which plants use the energy from sunlight to produce sugar,
which is then converted into chemical forms of energy that can be used by
biological systems.
The most commonly known types of photosynthesis are
carried out by higher plants and algae, as well as by cyanobacteria and their
relatives, which are responsible for a major part photosynthesis in oceans.
These organisms convert carbon dioxide (CO2) into organic material through the
reduction of this gas into carbohydrates. The initial energy for this process
is provided by the light of the sun, which is absorbed by pigments like
chlorophylls and carotenoids.
These chlorophylls absorb blue and red light, while
the carotenoids absorb blue-green light. Green and yellow light are not absorbed
by the photosynthetic pigments in plants, therefore, these light colors are
reflected by or passed through the leaves. This is why plants are usually
green.
The
growth of plants and the length of time they remain active depend on the amount
of light they receive. Light intensity influences the 
manufacture
of plant food, stem length, leaf color, and flowering. A geranium grown in low
light tends to be spindly and the leaves light green in color. A similar plant
grown in very bright light would tend to be shorter, better branched, and have
larger, dark green leaves.
Although
you aren’t actually taking a bite out of the sun, you receive sustenance from
plants that have used the sun’s energy to grow. In a way, you could say that
the sun is a part of you!