photosynthesis, the process by which green plants and certain other organisms transform light energy into chemical energy. During photosynthesis in green plants, light energy is captured and used to convert water, carbon dioxide, and minerals into oxygen and energy-rich organic compounds

Directly or indirectly, photosynthesis fills all of our food requirements and many of our needs for fiber and building materials. The energy stored in petroleum, natural gas and coal all came from the sun via photosynthesis, as does the energy in firewood, which is a major fuel in many parts of the world

Jan Ingenhouszdiscover? Dutch-born British physician and scientist Jan Ingenhousz is best known for the discovery of the process of photosynthesis, by which green plants in sunlight absorb carbon dioxide and release oxygen