Plants are amazing organisms in that they capture sunlight energy and convert it into usable energy through a process called photosynthesis. This happens in the chloroplasts.
CO2 + H2O + sunlight energy --> C6H12O6 + O2
Once this energy is stored as glucose, it can then be converted back into chemical energy (ATP) through a process called cellular respiration. This happens in the mitochondria.
C6H12O6 + O2 --> CO2 + H2O + ATP energy
Check out this nice little animation about how photosynthesis works:
http://earthguide.ucsd.edu/earthguide/diagrams/photosynthesis/photosynthesis.html
http://www.wonderville.ca/asset/photosynthesis
Here is a good description of how cellular respiration works:
http://www.sumanasinc.com/webcontent/animations/content/cellularrespiration.html
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