Light Affecting Plant Growth

Aside from water and nutrients, light is most essential when growing and flourishing a plant. The amount of light received for the plant can ulitimately determine the length and time alive consisting for the plant itself. Light is necessary for all plants because they use this energy source to photosynthesize, and can easily die off if absent for an extended amount of time from light.^[1] Photosynthesis mainly permits plants to combine glucose from water and carbon dioxide while releasing oxygen. A plants chloroplasts simply trap light energy where the water can then enter into the leaf and then become chemical energy. ^[2] Plants require light energy for the process of Photosynthesis by which they convert this light energy to chemical energy.With the presence of chlorophyll in plants, they have the ability to absorb light emitted from the sun. Chlorophyll appears green in color and absorbs red and blue light. The red light has the important role of flower growth when combined with blue light, where blue light is responsible for vegetative growth.

FUN FACT: Chlorophyll is unable to absorb green light, therefore with the inability makes the leaves of plants and chlorophyll appear green to the human eye!

Sunlight also comes into play with plant growth with 'Phototropisms'. Phototropism is a plants reaction to light. The cause of phototropism is an auxin. Auxin is a hormone which explains the side of the plant with the most shade to grow longer than the other side, which then results in a plant to bend toward the light source.^[3] Without light, plants reduce their ability to develope and reproduce as much as they naturally can. Without light, photosynthesis would not take place.