Partners in crime I – chloroplasts and mitochondria

Chloroplasts are found in the cells of plants that conduct photosynthesis. They absorb sunlight and use it along with water and carbon dioxide gas (CO2) to produce food for the plant.

Chloroplasts are the magic making masters. Inside the chloroplast, the pigment chlorophyll seems to turn light into matter, in fact using the energy of sunlight to make organic molecules. Chloroplasts were free-living cyanobacteria once.

Mitochondria generate the energy that cells need to function. The energy made by the mitochondria is in the form of a chemical called adenosine triphosphate or ATP.