
Plants
Explainer: How photosynthesis works
Plants can take in light, water and carbon dioxide, and send out sugar and oxygen. Here’s how it works.
Plants can take in light, water and carbon dioxide, and send out sugar and oxygen. Here’s how it works.
Photosynthesis turns sunlight into energy for plants. Scientists want to know more about it, imitate it — even improve it.
Levels of important nutrients are lower in crops exposed to high levels of carbon dioxide, a greenhouse gas. How high? Try levels expected to be typical 30 years from now.
Two elements — nitrogen and phosphorus — help plants grow. When the soil doesn’t have them, farmers might add them in the form of fertilizer.
The greenery can release chemicals into the air that react with combustion pollutants to make ozone. And trees release more of those chemicals where it gets really hot, a new study finds.
By mixing electronics with greenery, engineers have made plants that conduct electricity, detect bombs and send email.
Coral reefs are under siege from threats ranging from climate change to explosives. But scientists are developing ways to rebuild reefs before they disappear.
Certain indoor air pollutants can sicken people. But some houseplants can remove those chemicals from a room’s air, new data show.
Plants can make energy out of sunlight, all thanks to a pigment called chlorophyll.
People with sensitive teeth can find routine dental cleanings painful. But bubbles might pave way to no-touch — and pain-free — cleaning for these people.