Video narration
How can a plant make its own food if it seems to get everything from the soil? Think of a leaf as a tiny kitchen. Water arrives through the roots, and carbon dioxide comes from the air. Sunlight powers the cooking-but here's the important turn: the leaf is not taking in finished food. It uses light energy to make sugar from water and carbon dioxide. That sugar is the plant's food and stored energy, helping it grow and stay alive. Oxygen is released into the air as an output-not the plant's meal. This whole process is called photosynthesis. Back in our kitchen, the plant is not receiving a ready-made meal from the soil. The soil supplies water and minerals, but the leaf does the cooking. Plants make their own food: sunlight helps turn water and carbon dioxide into sugar, releasing oxygen along the way.