Photosynthesis

Hello. I am a secret chef. I am a magical chef just for plants. I live inside every green leaf, in a kitchen so tiny you can’t even see it. I have a special, secret recipe. First, I take a big drink of water that comes up from the ground. Then, I take a deep breath of the air all around. My favorite ingredient is warm, bright sunshine. I mix the sunlight, water, and air all together. I stir and stir until I make a yummy, sweet meal for the plant to eat. It’s the best secret recipe in the whole world.

For a long, long time, nobody knew my name. I was a secret. One day, a curious man was watching the plants. His name was Jan Ingenhousz. He looked very closely at a plant sitting in a bowl of water under the bright sun. He saw something amazing. Tiny, tiny bubbles were coming from the leaves. Pop. Pop. Pop. It looked like the plant was whispering secrets into the water. He noticed the bubbles only appeared when the sun was shining. He thought, “Something magical is happening inside that leaf.” He had discovered me. My name is Photosynthesis. That’s a big word, isn't it? It just means “making something new with light.”

My magical recipe makes wonderful gifts. The yummy food I make helps plants grow big and strong. They grow tall green trees and sweet red strawberries. Those are foods for you, too. And what about my little bubbles? Those tiny bubbles are my other special gift. They are fresh, clean air. The air you need to breathe in and out all day long. I make food for the plants and clean air for you. I help make our world green, healthy, and happy. It is the most important job in the world, and I do it every sunny day.