Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants and algae fix carbon dioxide from the air into sugars and other compounds while producing the oxygen we breathe. This process is the basis on which all life on land and in the sea depends on (except for life near hydrothermal vents, but that’s not a topic for a plant blog to discuss!). While photosynthesis can’t be observed with the naked eye on land, this process can be easily visualized with aquatic plants. Pictured above is a species of Elodea submerged in a tank. As the Elodea leaves absorb photons from the light, water molecules inside the chloroplasts are split into hydrogen atoms and oxygen gas, which can be seen bubbling to the top! We owe our existence to these primary producers, and the process of photosynthesis is essential to life on Earth!