Photosynthesis is the process with which plants make their food. It is derived from the Latin ‘photo’ (light) and ‘synthesis’ (composition, putting together). In order for plants to make their food, they need the certain molecules and compounds to be able to produce cellulose, a kind of sugar. The plant needs water (H₂O) and Carbon Dioxide (CO₂). It adds light and chlorophyll to these molecules and the result is Cellulose (C₆H₁₂O₆) and Oxygen (O₂). The plants don’t need the oxygen and so they let it out. Plants are useful for us because they take in our waste, (CO₂) and their waste is a vital part of life for us (O₂). Photosynthesis can be written as:

6H₂O + 6CO₂ —-light+chlorophyll—-> C₆H₁₂O₆+ 6O₂

Think of it as a recipe. The plant needs all the ingredients to make a cake. The plant needs water and carbon dioxide. Then the plant needs chlorophyll and light, which could be seen as the oven. When the cake is cooked, you get your food, but you are alone and you don’t need all that cake, so you cut off what you know you won’t eat and you throw that piece out. Someone passes by and takes that piece of cake., i.e. another organism takes the energy not needed by the plant. The formula seen above is merely the recipe written on paper. It means that six molecules of water and six molecules of carbon dioxide plus sunlight and chlorophyll makes one molecule of sugar and six molecules of oxygen.

Plants need to find their ingredients before starting to bake the cake, and they are very well adapted to find and procure their necessary ingredients. The roots take care of sucking up the water in the soil. This water is transported to the leaves through the stem. Photosynthesis occurs in the leaves. The chlorophyll is stored in little pockets within the leaves known as chloroplasts. Chlorophyll is a green pigment (colouring), which is why leaves are green in general. The carbon dioxide needed is taken in from the stoma, which can be characterised as little pores seen on the underside of leaves. The unwanted oxygen is also excreted from the stoma.
Plants are a crucial part of life, they are the only organisms capable of taking energy from the sun to transform it into heat energy, which other organisms steal from plants. Plants also uphold the balance of gases in the air by breathing in carbon dioxide and breathing out oxygen.

References: Animated Image From Millan.Net, http://www.emc.maricopa.edu/faculty/farabee/biobk/biobookps.html, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/File:Leaf_anatomy.svg, http://www.folens.ie/catalog/book_detail.php?bookid=91,

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My newest plant, called Asplenium, is a fern which grows on trees, stones or sometimes independently in the soil. Asplenium contains about 700 species. A common name applied to the most typical plants is “Spleenworts”. Both this term and the scientific term come from an old belief that these plants were useful ailments for spleen problems, due to their spleen-shaped leaves. And as for “Worts”, it is an old english term for “plants”.

After a little research, I found that my plant is an “Asplenium Australasicum“. It is found in Queensland, New South Wales and Asia. Its common name is “Crow’s Nest Fern“. Its habitats are rainforests and it is used to the harsh conditions and recovers quickly with the help of rain. The unusual positioning of leaves helps the plant to catch dead leaves and waste from around it so that it can create it’s own serving of compost.

This plant is often confused with “Asplenium Nidus“, the ‘Bird’s Nest Fern‘. Contrarily to the Crow’s Nest Fern, its foliage is edible and is largely eaten in Thai food.

The roots are relatively small compared to the size of the plant, this makes it an ideal indoor plant (the roots have space in the pot). Avoid putting it in full shadow, but do not over-expose to sunlight. Keep the soil moist but don’t drown your plant. As well as watering regularly, spray a little once a week to keep the leaves moist as well.

Sources: http://bit.ly/7ghqNZ, http://bit.ly/6f00Yx

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On a visit to Ikea, I bought a plant called “spathiphyllum”. Here’s some background information on the origins of this beautiful plant and how to take care of it.

Native to tropical regions of the Americas, and southeastern Asia, these plants are more commonly known as “Peace Lilies”. Spathiphyllum is composed of about 40 species. I am unsure of the exact type of Peace Lily I now own.

It is commonly known that this plant belongs to a group of plants that filter pollutants in the air as well as taking in our carbon dioxide and giving us oxygen back. Other studies have proven that plants in offices have reduced the amount of headaches, and coughs. The Peace Lily was part of the group of plants tested and it was proven that indoor air was cleaner with this plant. They also can bring an increase in well-being. If you cannot have an animal companion, then a plant will brighten up the room and they need to be taken care of if you want them to look the best.

For the Peace Lily, it doesn’t like direct sunlight and thrives mostly in partial shadows. Keeping the soil moist is important but drain the excess water that is left at the bottom of the pot. When the flowers bloom and wilt, cut them off and another flower will grow back again. This is a tropical plant and it likes temperatures above 15℃ (59℉). Also keep them out of drafts. Love them and they will love you.

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