Lesson 6 of 6

Why all life depends on it

Goal: Explain why other organisms depend on photosynthesis.

Puzzles for this lesson

Almost all living things depend on photosynthesis: for their food, and for the oxygen in the air.

A food chain. Each arrow means “is eaten by”. Energy is passed along with the food.

Plants and algae are producers. They make food by photosynthesis. Every food chain starts with a producer.
Animals cannot make food. They eat plants, or they eat animals that ate plants.
Photosynthesis changes the air. It takes in carbon dioxide and gives out oxygen. Respiration does the opposite, and it goes on all the time in plants and animals.

Your turn

This lesson’s activity starts here in a moment.

I can link photosynthesis to food chains.I can say how it affects the gases in the air.

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Photosynthesis How plants and algae make glucose, using energy from light

Carbon dioxide The gas a plant takes in for photosynthesis

Oxygen The gas given out in photosynthesis

Producer A living thing that makes its own food, at the start of a food chain

For teachers: AQA 3.9.4 · Pearson Edexcel 9.2