Nutrition
Zantedeschia aethiopica is an autotroph which means that it
is capable of producing its own food. This process is called
photosynthesis. Photosynthesis occurs when light is converted
into chemical energy which is then stored as sugars. In order to
accomplish this, there needs to be a combination of many
components present.
This process is chiefly done in the leaves, where the
chloroplasts are located. Chloroplasts are specifically in the
thylakoid membranes and give a plant its green color. As stated
earlier, when the light is absorbed and in turn converted into
chemical energy it is stored as ATP. Adenosine triphosphate
(ATP) is a chemical used in our bodies as well. Once the light
has done its part in creating chemical energy, the next part of
the photosynthesis process involves the "dark reaction" which
does not need light but follows the "light reaction" that
previously occurred. In the dark reaction the products, ATP and
NADPH are used in the Calvin cycle. The Calvin cycle is when
carbon dioxide and the ATP that was previously made create sugar
that the plant can then use.
The sugars made after photosynthesis are now ready to flow
through the pholem and provide nutrients to sustain the
Zantedeschia aethiopica.