The primary process plants use to create their food is photosynthesis. During photosynthesis, plants convert sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water into glucose and oxygen. This process takes place mainly in the chloroplasts of plant cells, where chlorophyll—a green pigment—captures sunlight. The glucose produced serves as an energy source for growth, reproduction, and metabolism, while oxygen is released as a byproduct into the atmosphere. Photosynthesis is crucial not only for plants, as it forms the foundation of the food chain, providing energy for herbivores and, subsequently, for carnivores, thereby supporting all life on Earth.