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Inside the plant’s leaves are tiny structures called chloroplasts that contain chlorophyll, the green pigment that captures sunlight. That light energy is used to combine carbon dioxide and water, turning them into glucose, which is basically sugar the plant uses as food. But here’s the cool …

Inside the plant’s leaves are tiny structures called chloroplasts that contain chlorophyll, the green pigment that captures sunlight. That light energy is used to combine carbon dioxide and water, turning them into glucose, which is basically sugar the plant uses as food. But here’s the cool part. As a by-product of this process, the plant releases oxygen back into the atmosphere. So every breath you take right now… is partly thanks to plants turning sunlight into energy.