Page 7 - The Tree Book
P. 7
Leaves and photosynthesis
Trees need their own food to grow too. They use a special process called photosynthesis, which needs sunlight, water and a gas called carbon dioxide.
Light from the sun
Water from the soil
Carbon dioxide and water from the air
Green leaves soak up light from the sun. Trees have thousands of leaves to catch as much sunlight as possible.
They use this light energy to help them mix water and carbon dioxide. This makes sugar which becomes the tree’s food.
Leaves also produce oxygen during photosynthesis. Without trees and other plants, there wouldn’t
be any oxygen for humans and animals to breathe.
Veins usually branch out from the stalk
of the leaf
All leaves have tiny veins running through them. They carry a sweet liquid called sap containing energy and food to the rest of the tree. Each type of tree has leaves with a different shape. They can have wiggly or straight edges.
