photosynthesis

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Process by which green plants trap light energy from sunlight in order to combine carbon dioxide and water to make high-energy chemicals – glucose and other carbohydrates. The simple sugar glucose provides the basic food for both plants and animals. For photosynthesis to occur, the plant must possess chlorophyll (the green chemical that absorbs the energy from the sunlight) and must have a supply of carbon dioxide and water. Photosynthesis takes place inside chloroplasts, which contain the enzymes and chlorophyll necessary for the process. They are found mainly in the leaf cells of plants. The by-product of photosynthesis, oxygen, is of great importance to all living organisms, and virtually all atmospheric oxygen has originated from photosynthesis.

Through photosynthesis, plants are able to make some of their own food – this is one way in which the nutrition of plants differs from that of animals. The glucose they produce may be converted to starch and stored. Starch can then be converted back to glucose to provide energy for the plant at a later stage, for example during the night.

White was added to the flag to identify Bahrain as a friendly state. Red was the traditional colour of the Kharijite Sect. In 2002 the number of serrations were reduced to five, possibly representing the five pillars of Islam. Effective date: 19 August 1972. >>