Source: https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-2-5-how-leaves-make-food [Revision notes](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes.md) › [Primary](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary.md) › [Science](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science.md) › [Science: Year 3 & 4 National Curriculum](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum.md) › How Leaves Make Food # How Leaves Make Food Science: Year 3 & 4 National Curriculum, topic 1.2.5 ## How Plant Food is Made in Leaves Leaves are like the food factories of the plant. The leaves make food for the plant to grow. Plant food is mostly sugars and starch. ### Plants use light energy ![Plants use light energy](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/courseImages/biology/2.5.1%20-%20Plant%20tissues%201/forest%20sun-min.jpg) - The leaves use light energy from the sun. - The leaves use the light energy to turn chemicals from air and water into sugar and starch. ### Why plants don't grow ![Why plants don't grow](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2019-10/4cdb891c-8da7-4801-97fb-32ebe5836338/feldberg-4540673_1920.jpg) - If a plant does not get air, water or light, it will not grow properly. - If a plant does not get air, water or light, the plant will eventually die. ### Plants have adapted ![Plants have adapted](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2019-04/4378c246-579d-4b22-a726-4837572d79ab/mandacaru-caatinga-brazil-bioma-dry.jpg) - Plants have adapted to grow in different conditions. ### Desert plants ![Desert plants](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2018-03/c7f7ea12-972a-405e-8d29-eb34fb53c16d/shutterstock_654736537.jpg) - Some desert plants store water in fat leaves. - A cactus is an example of a desert plant. ### Some plants need less light ![Some plants need less light](https://image-v2.cdn.app.senecalearning.com/2019-04/67f5e1d8-73a7-4c4d-a9e3-5ad6a120710f/fern-plant-leaf.jpg) - Some plants only need a small amount of light. - A fern is an example of a plant the only needs a small amount of light. ## Test yourself on How Leaves Make Food - Where in a plant is the sun's energy made into food for the plant? - What will happen if a plant does NOT get enough air, water or light? [Practise this topic for free](https://app.senecalearning.com/classroom/course/387be3cf-f0c3-401f-9de4-e8658803ed6d/section/3f0a65ee-a9d9-41fa-8976-56c3a62e1db5/session) - Previous topic: [1.2.4 Leaves](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-2-4-leaves.md) - Next topic: [1.2.6 Flowers](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-2-6-flowers.md) ## Science: Year 3 & 4 National Curriculum contents ### 1 Year 3: Plants - 1.1 Types of Plants - [1.1.1 Flowering & Non-flowering Plants](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-1-1-flowering-and-non-flowering-plants.md) - 1.2 Parts of a Plant - [1.2.1 Roots](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-2-1-roots.md) - [1.2.2 What do Roots do?](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-2-2-what-do-roots-do.md) - [1.2.3 Stem](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-2-3-stem.md) - [1.2.4 Leaves](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-2-4-leaves.md) - [1.2.5 How Leaves Make Food](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-2-5-how-leaves-make-food.md) - [1.2.6 Flowers](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-2-6-flowers.md) - 1.3 Pollination - [1.3.1 Pollination](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-3-1-pollination.md) - [1.3.2 Pollination by Insects](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-3-2-pollination-by-insects.md) - [1.3.3 Pollination by the Wind](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-3-3-pollination-by-the-wind.md) - 1.4 Seeds - [1.4.1 Types of Seeds](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-4-1-types-of-seeds.md) - [1.4.2 Dispersing Seeds](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/1-4-2-dispersing-seeds.md) ### 2 Year 3: Animals (Including Humans) - 2.1 Food - [2.1.1 The Need for Food](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-1-1-the-need-for-food.md) - [2.1.2 Food Groups](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-1-2-food-groups.md) - [2.1.3 Carbohydrates](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-1-3-carbohydrates.md) - [2.1.4 Proteins](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-1-4-proteins.md) - [2.1.5 Dairy](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-1-5-dairy.md) - [2.1.6 Fruit & Vegetables](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-1-6-fruit-and-vegetables.md) - [2.1.7 Fats](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-1-7-fats.md) - [2.1.8 Junk Food](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-1-8-junk-food.md) - 2.2 Skeletons & Muscles - [2.2.1 Skeletons & Muscles](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-2-1-skeletons-and-muscles.md) - [2.2.2 Healthy Bones](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/2-2-2-healthy-bones.md) ### 3 Year 3: Rocks - 3.1 Rocks on Earth - [3.1.1 Rocks](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/3-1-1-rocks.md) - [3.1.2 Fossils](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/3-1-2-fossils.md) ### 4 Year 3: Light - 4.1 What is Light? - [4.1.1 Light as Energy](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/4-1-1-light-as-energy.md) - [4.1.2 Reflections](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/4-1-2-reflections.md) - [4.1.3 Sunlight](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/4-1-3-sunlight.md) - [4.1.4 Shadows](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/4-1-4-shadows.md) ### 5 Year 3: Forces & Magnets - 5.1 Forces - [5.1.1 What is a Force?](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/5-1-1-what-is-a-force.md) - [5.1.2 Contact & Non-Contact Forces](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/5-1-2-contact-and-non-contact-forces.md) - [5.1.3 Testing Magnetic Materials](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/5-1-3-testing-magnetic-materials.md) - [5.1.4 Attracting & Repelling Magnets](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/5-1-4-attracting-and-repelling-magnets.md) - [5.1.5 Uses of Magnets](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/5-1-5-uses-of-magnets.md) ### 6 Year 4: Living Things & Their Habitats - 6.1 Grouping Animals - [6.1.1 Biodiversity & Classification](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/6-1-1-biodiversity-and-classification.md) - [6.1.2 Grouping Animals](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/6-1-2-grouping-animals.md) - 6.2 Vertebrates - [6.2.1 Vertebrates](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/6-2-1-vertebrates.md) - [6.2.2 Mammals](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/6-2-2-mammals.md) - [6.2.3 Reptiles](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/6-2-3-reptiles.md) - [6.2.4 Fish](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/6-2-4-fish.md) - [6.2.5 Amphibians](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/6-2-5-amphibians.md) - [6.2.6 Birds](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/6-2-6-birds.md) - 6.3 Invertebrates - [6.3.1 Invertebrates](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/6-3-1-invertebrates.md) - [6.3.2 Insects](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/6-3-2-insects.md) - [6.3.3 Spiders](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/6-3-3-spiders.md) - [6.3.4 Slugs & Snails](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/6-3-4-slugs-and-snails.md) - [6.3.5 Worms](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/6-3-5-worms.md) - 6.4 Grouping Plants - [6.4.1 Grouping Plants](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/6-4-1-grouping-plants.md) - [6.4.2 Flowering Plants](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/6-4-2-flowering-plants.md) - [6.4.3 Non-Flowering Plants](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/6-4-3-non-flowering-plants.md) - 6.5 Classification Keys - [6.5.1 Classification Keys](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/6-5-1-classification-keys.md) - 6.6 Environmental Change - [6.6.1 Positive Impact of Humans on the Environment](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/6-6-1-positive-impact-of-humans-on-the-environment.md) - [6.6.2 Negative Impact of Humans: Deforestation](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/6-6-2-negative-impact-of-humans-deforestation.md) - [6.6.3 Negative Impact of Humans: Litter](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/6-6-3-negative-impact-of-humans-litter.md) - [6.6.4 Negative Impact of Humans: Overpopulation](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/6-6-4-negative-impact-of-humans-overpopulation.md) ### 7 Year 4: Animals, Including Humans - 7.1 Teeth - [7.1.1 Why Do We Need Teeth?](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/7-1-1-why-do-we-need-teeth.md) - [7.1.2 'Baby' Teeth](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/7-1-2-baby-teeth.md) - [7.1.3 Adult Teeth](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/7-1-3-adult-teeth.md) - [7.1.4 Incisors](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/7-1-4-incisors.md) - [7.1.5 Canines](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/7-1-5-canines.md) - [7.1.6 Premolars](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/7-1-6-premolars.md) - [7.1.7 Molars](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/7-1-7-molars.md) - 7.2 Digestion - [7.2.1 What is Digestion?](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/7-2-1-what-is-digestion.md) - [7.2.2 The Digestive System - The Mouth](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/7-2-2-the-digestive-system-the-mouth.md) - [7.2.3 The Digestive System - The Stomach](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/7-2-3-the-digestive-system-the-stomach.md) - [7.2.4 The Digestive System - The Small Intestines](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/7-2-4-the-digestive-system-the-small-intestines.md) - [7.2.5 The Digestive System - The Large Intestines](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/7-2-5-the-digestive-system-the-large-intestines.md) - 7.3 Food Chains - [7.3.1 What are Food Chains?](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/7-3-1-what-are-food-chains.md) - [7.3.2 Producers, Predators & Prey](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/7-3-2-producers-predators-and-prey.md) - [7.3.3 Herbivores & Carnivores](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/7-3-3-herbivores-and-carnivores.md) ### 8 Year 4: States of Matter - 8.1 The 3 States of Matter - [8.1.1 States of Matter](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/8-1-1-states-of-matter.md) - [8.1.2 Changes of State](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/8-1-2-changes-of-state.md) - 8.2 The Water Cycle - [8.2.1 The Water Cycle](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/8-2-1-the-water-cycle.md) - [8.2.2 Evaporation at Different Temperatures](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/8-2-2-evaporation-at-different-temperatures.md) ### 9 Year 4: Sound - 9.1 How Do I Hear? - [9.1.1 What is Sound?](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/9-1-1-what-is-sound.md) - [9.1.2 Sound Travels to Your Ear](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/9-1-2-sound-travels-to-your-ear.md) - 9.2 Pitch - [9.2.1 Pitch](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/9-2-1-pitch.md) - 9.3 Volume - [9.3.1 Volume](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/9-3-1-volume.md) - [9.3.2 How Distance Affect Volume](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/9-3-2-how-distance-affect-volume.md) ### 10 Year 4: Electricity - 10.1 Uses of Electricity - [10.1.1 What Uses Electricity?](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/10-1-1-what-uses-electricity.md) - 10.2 Conductors & Insulators - [10.2.1 Electrical Conductors](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/10-2-1-electrical-conductors.md) - [10.2.2 Electrical Insulators](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/10-2-2-electrical-insulators.md) - 10.3 Making Circuits - [10.3.1 What is a Circuit?](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/10-3-1-what-is-a-circuit.md) - [10.3.2 Complete Circuits](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/10-3-2-complete-circuits.md) - [10.3.3 Electrical Safety](https://senecalearning.com/en-gb/revision-notes/primary/science/science-year-3-and-4-national-curriculum/10-3-3-electrical-safety.md)