photosynthesis
noun
pho·to·syn·the·sis
| \ ˌfō-tō-ˈsin(t)-thə-səs
\
\
Definition of photosynthesis
: synthesis of chemical compounds with the aid of radiant energy and especially light
especially
: formation of carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and a source of hydrogen (such as water) in the chlorophyll-containing cells (as of green plants) exposed to light
Keep scrolling for more
Other Words from photosynthesis
photosynthesize
\ ˌfō-tō-ˈsin(t)-thə-ˌsīz
\
intransitive verb
\
intransitive verb
photosynthetic
\ ˌfō-tō-sin-ˈthe-tik
\
adjective
\
adjective
photosynthetically
\ ˌfō-tō-sin-ˈthe-ti-k(ə-)lē
\
adverb
\
adverb
Examples of photosynthesis in a Sentence
Recent Examples on the Web
Plants are green because their leaves contain chlorophyll, a pigment that reflects the green light in the middle of the spectrum while absorbing and using for photosynthesis the blue and red wavelengths at either end of it. — The Economist, "New ways to make vertical farming stack up," 29 Aug. 2019 Nearly all free oxygen in the air is produced by plants through photosynthesis. — Scott Denning, Scientific American, "Destructive Amazon Fires Do Not Threaten Earth’s Oxygen, Expert Says," 27 Aug. 2019 Nearly all free oxygen in the air is produced by plants through photosynthesis. — The Conversation, oregonlive.com, "Amazon fires are alarming -- but, no, they won’t deplete Earth’s oxygen: The Conversation," 26 Aug. 2019 Under natural conditions, plants remove CO2 from the atmosphere and absorb it for photosynthesis, yielding carbon, which allows plants to grow, and releasing oxygen back into the air. — Susan Scutti, CNN, "Here's what we know about the fires in the Amazon rainforest," 23 Aug. 2019 As a result, flowering plants could turn sunlight into sugars through photosynthesis much more efficiently. — Quanta Magazine, "With ‘Downsized’ DNA, Flowering Plants Took Over the World," 16 June 2019 About one-third of land photosynthesis occurs in tropical forests, the largest of which is located in the Amazon Basin. — Scott Denning, Scientific American, "Destructive Amazon Fires Do Not Threaten Earth’s Oxygen, Expert Says," 27 Aug. 2019 The trees and plants of the Amazon forest pull carbon dioxide out of the atmosphere as part of photosynthesis. — Washington Post, "What you need to know about the Amazon rainforest fires," 27 Aug. 2019 Institute faculty member Pamela Silver and her collaborator Dan Nocera are trying to make a bionic leaf that can achieve artificial photosynthesis. — Wendy Moonan, Smithsonian, "How Biology Inspires Future Technology," 27 Aug. 2019These example sentences are selected automatically from various online news sources to reflect current usage of the word 'photosynthesis.' Views expressed in the examples do not represent the opinion of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
Keep scrolling for more
Keep scrolling for more
More Definitions for photosynthesis
photosynthesis
noun
English Language Learners Definition of photosynthesis
biology
: the process by which a green plant turns water and carbon dioxide into food when the plant is exposed to light
See the full definition for photosynthesis in the English Language Learners Dictionary
photosynthesis
noun
pho·to·syn·the·sis
| \ ˌfō-tə-ˈsin-thə-səs
\
\
Kids Definition of photosynthesis
: the process by which green plants and a few other organisms (as some protists) form carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and water in the presence of light
photosynthesis
noun
pho·to·syn·the·sis
| \ ˌfōt-ō-ˈsin(t)-thə-səs
\
\
plural photosyntheses
Medical Definition of photosynthesis
: synthesis of chemical compounds with the aid of light sometimes including the near infrared or near ultraviolet
especially
: the formation of carbohydrates from carbon dioxide and a source of hydrogen (as water) in chlorophyll-containing cells (as of green plants) exposed to light involving a photochemical release of oxygen through the decomposition of water followed by various enzymatic synthetic reactions that usually do not require the presence of light
Other Words from photosynthesis
photosynthesize
\ -ˌsīz
\
also British photosynthesise
intransitive verb
photosynthesized
also British photosynthesised;
photosynthesizing
also British photosynthesising
\
also British photosynthesise
intransitive verb
photosynthesized
also British photosynthesised;
photosynthesizing
also British photosynthesising
photosynthetic
\ -sin-ˈthet-ik
\
adjective
\
adjective
photosynthetically
\ -i-k(ə-)lē
\
adverb
\
adverb
Keep scrolling for more