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Science 5: Photosynthesis 70 Views


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Description:

Today's lesson is on photosynthesis, but it has nothing to do with synthesizing photos. Weird, huh? Instead we'll be talking about the all-important process that generates the air we breathe. Though we're sure the process that generates your cat photos is pretty important too...

Language:
English Language

Transcript

00:05

[Dino and Coop singing]

00:13

Chemical reactions are happening all around you, every single day! [Guy holding a test tube which explodes]

00:17

Don't worry, it's not all lab explosions and goopy blob monsters. [Green glob attacks a girl in the lab]

00:21

You can come out from under the desk.

00:23

We're talking about things like The hot frying pan causing your morning bacon [Bacon frying]

00:27

to sizzle...

00:28

The rust accumulating on your bicycle...

00:29

Or the banana in your lunch turning brown... aka the grossest thing to ever happen in the

00:34

history of the universe. [Guy looks grossed out]

00:35

Yegh.

00:36

Okay maybe get back under the desk.

00:38

Let's get back to bacon and rust!

00:39

…Well. Not at the same time.

00:41

No one likes rusty bacon… [Girl holding a piece of rusty bacon]

00:42

These are just a couple examples of chemistry in action.

00:46

And there's one chemical reaction in particular that you're reaping the benefits of every

00:50

single moment.

00:51

No, not bacon again.

00:52

We wish.

00:53

We're talking about photosynthesis!

00:55

When you think of the word photosynthesis, you probably think of a plant.

00:58

And guess what?

00:59

You'd be right!

01:00

But at the risk of offending the other big player in this totally awesome chemical reaction, [Plant on a table]

01:04

allow us to introduce the co-star of photosynthesis, the Sun! [Crowd cheering for the Sun on stage]

01:09

Seriously, he gets a little hot-headed if you don't give him proper credit…

01:12

It all starts with our plant here collecting a whole lot of stuff in its leaves, including

01:16

carbon dioxide from the air, and water from its roots that travels up into the rest of [Arrows showing the flow of water]

01:20

the plant.

01:21

Next, the sun comes in, shining rays of sunshine down onto the plant.

01:25

The leaves of the plant absorb these too.

01:27

Once the sun's involved, the rays actually cause the carbon dioxide and water to combine [All the components combining]

01:32

and form a sugar called glucose, which the plant uses as food. [Apples appear on the tree]

01:35

We'd guess this is the plant's favorite part of the whole process.

01:38

Pretty sweet, right?

01:39

But what's even sweeter than the glucose produced is the by-product that comes as a result of

01:44

it – a little thing we like to call oxygen.

01:46

This oxygen is then released by the plant and back into our atmosphere. [Outwards flow of oxygen shown]

01:51

And where does that oxygen go next?

01:52

Into your lungs, of course. [Guy breathing in the oxygen]

01:54

But not just human lungs.

01:55

Pig lungs.

01:56

And cow lungs.

01:57

And gorilla lungs. [All the animals under a tree]

01:58

And the lungs of every other oxygen-breathing animal on earth.

02:02

All because the sun and these plants got together and decided to make some sugar.

02:07

And if that wasn't useful enough already, photosynthesis also plays an important part

02:10

in removing excess carbon dioxide put into the atmosphere by humans and the burning of [Big factory giving off carbon dioxide]

02:15

fossil fuels.

02:16

They're actually cleaning pollution out of our air. [Trees appear and begin to clean the air]

02:19

Now how's that for impressive?

02:20

So the next time you pass by a plant, why not stop by and say thanks for all its hard work?

02:25

On second thought, maybe don't do that.

02:27

It'll probably look a little weird. [Guy saying the plant is his hero, another guy looks confused]

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