It has long been known that the green
part of plants, when exposed to light under suitable
conditions of temperature and water supply, intake
carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and release oxygen
into it. This gaseous exchange is the result of
photosynthesis. The intensity, quality and daily
duration of illumination all influence the amount of
photosynthesis that takes place.
Each type of
plant, whether it's sun-loving or shade-tolerant, has
its own rate of photosynthesis. More photosynthesis
appears to occur in the orange, short red and blue bands
of the spectrum than in the green and yellow bands. In
general, the longer the daily amount of illumination,
the more photosynthesis will take place.