Psst. Hey, smarty pants.
Listen. Can you guess where I am?
Did you say the great outdoors?
Or my backyard? I'll accept either of those answers.
And how great is it to be outside on a beautiful, bright, sunny day?
Not only does it feel good, it's good for you.
Did you know your body actually produces a vitamin when exposed to sunlight?
Whoa. Any guess what vitamin it is?
Is it A, B, C, or D?
If you said vitamin D, you're right!
Incredibly, it only takes 15 minutes of sunshine to provide you with nearly all the vitamin D that you need for the day.
Of course, we humans aren't the only ones who need sunlight.
Who else needs sunlight, smarty pants?
Call out your answers.
I heard some people say animals.
Sure, many animals need sunlight to stay warm.
I heard someone say they're solar -powered calculator.
Sure, sure. But what's something that absolutely requires sunlight to survive?
Yep, I heard a lot of you say it.
Plants. Sup, dude? You mind taking a step back?
You're blocking my rays.
Huh? Who said that?
Down here, man. Um, all I see is a sunflower?
Yeah, man, that's me.
I'm Sonny. Groovy to meet you, man.
But you're still jamming my light.
Oops, sorry. How's that?
Oh, yeah. Let the sunshine in.
Appreciate it, dude.
You're welcome. And it's nice to meet you, Sonny.
I'm the trusty narrator.
Narrator, huh? What do you narrate?
A podcast called Who Smarted?
Say hi to the Smarty Pants.
Sup, Smarties? I've never been on a podcast before, so this is pretty rad.
The raddest? Anyway, the Smarty Pants and I were just talking about how humans and plants need sunlight.
We sure do, man. Trees, plants, flowers.
It's how we get our food, dude.
You eat sunlight? Nah, dude.
Sunlight gives plants the energy we need to make our own food, which allows us to grow and reproduce, creating more plants in a process called photosynthesis.
Ah, of course. But, Smarty Pants, how does photosynthesis actually work?
What happens when the sun goes down?
And is it possible for a plant to get too much sun?
Good questions, my dude.
And old Sonny here's got the answers.
Great! Looks like it's time for another whiff of science on...
Who's smarted? Who's smarted?
Who's smart? Is it you?
Is it me? Is it science?
Or history? Listen up, everyone.
We make smarting lots of fun on Who's Smarted?
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Okay, I'm sure some of you smarty pants have heard the term photosynthesis When it comes to plants But what exactly does it mean?
Sunny? Photosynthesis means putting together through light During photosynthesis, man Plants trap the sun's energy with our leaves And use it to make our food Do you know what plants like to eat?
Hey, smarty pants Do you know what plants eat?
Is it A, other plants, B, glucose, C, bugs, or D, spaghettios?
If you said D, spaghettios, then Chef Boyard you wrong.
Now, if you said C, bugs, that's technically correct for some species of carnivorous or meat -eating plants, like the Venus flytrap.
But the correct answer for most plants is B, glucose.
Glucose is a kind of simple sugar that plants make during photosynthesis Gotta have my glucose, dude Nice So tell me, Sunny, how does photosynthesis work exactly?
Alright, check it out Photosynthesis in plants requires three main ingredients Carbon dioxide, water, and light Plants absorb carbon dioxide from the air through teeny tiny holes in our leaves We also need water from the soil, which we absorb through our roots.
Ah, smarty pants. Have you ever seen someone watering outdoor plants with a garden hose?
Or indoor plants with a watering can?
That's why. Go on, Sonny.
When sunlight hits a plant, it starts a chemical reaction, breaking down carbon dioxide and water molecules to create glucose, sugar, and oxygen gas.
Not that kind of gas, dude.
Sorry, our sound guy always plays a fart sound whenever someone says gas.
I'll stop doing it when it stops being funny.
Anyway. Wait, Sonny, did you say plants create glucose for food and oxygen?
That's right. Plants create oxygen.
You know, the stuff humans breathe.
During photosynthesis, man, plants release oxygen into the air, which is why plants are so important to life on Earth.
They sure are. Smarty Pants, be sure to thank a plant the next time you see one.
After sugar is created inside a plant, it gets broken down into something called chloroplasts.
Think of them like the conductors of photosynthesis.
the chloroplasts break down the sugar into energy we plants use as fuel to grow and reproduce oh and not only are plants good for the environment but we smell good too unlike someone i know hey i showered today or yesterday i wasn't talking to you dude i was talking to him who me over here inside this cave
Huh, I don't remember having a cave in my backyard.
Either way, I don't think I want to go in there.
It looks dark and scary.
What is ya, chicken?
What do you think, smarty pants?
Should we go inside the cave?
All right, let's do it.
But first, let me turn on the flashlight app on my phone so I can see.
That's better. Whoa, whoa.
Turn that off. Oops, sorry.
Um, do you mind if I ask, who are you?
The name's Fungi, but don't let the name fool you.
I'm not that fun a guy.
Clearly. But I'm confused.
You live here in the dark.
I thought all plants need sunlight.
Technically, fungi aren't plants.
We're fungi. We don't make our own food like your flowery friend over there.
Although, some of us look like flowers.
You might have heard of my friend.
Mushroom? Yes, I have.
Mushrooms are fungi?
That's right. Unlike plants, fungi don't need sunlight to grow.
We get our nutrients from organic materials, like dead plants or animals, that we break down with some special enzymes.
You feed off of dead plants and animals?
Told you, I'm not a fun guy.
Sunflower was right.
It does smell kind of funky in here.
No offense. Really, it smells fine to me.
Except someone smells like SpaghettiOs.
Well, gotta go. Me and the Smarty Pants have more smarting to do.
And I'm a little afraid of the dark.
Catch you later, fun guy.
Much later, I hope.
Okay, I'm back in the sunlight, smarty pants The sun might be bad for fungi But it's good for plants who need the sun to survive But can a plant ever get too much sun?
What do you say, Sonny?
Well, you know how the saying goes Too much of a good thing can be bad for you Just like humans, if plants get too much sun, man We get burned But unlike you, we don't go to the store to buy sunscreen No, a plant buying sunscreen would be ridiculous That's right, dude, cause we make our own Wait, plants
make their own sunscreen?
Whoa That's right Scientists recently discovered a group of molecules in plants that protects us from sun damage These molecules called synope T esters help block ultraviolet B radiation from damaging a plant's DNA and tissue.
Wow, I would save a fortune every summer if I could make my own sunscreen.
Speaking of, all this sun talk's making me kind of thirsty.
I could sure use some water.
You could use some water?
Dude, I am positively parched.
Oh, here, allow me.
Oh man, I was feeling a little droopy man I can't go too long without water, you know Same But do all plants, trees, and flowers need water to survive?
What about a plant living in a remote desert region like a cactus?
Does a cactus need water to survive?
The answer after this quick break Hi guys, it's Trusty Today's episode is brought to you by Squarespace.
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Now back to Who Smarted.
All right, smarty pants True or false?
All plants, trees, and flowers need water to survive Did you say true?
That's right In addition to sunlight and air plants need water even a cactus You talking to me, partner?
Whoa, hey, cactus jack We don't want any trouble Then what do you want?
The smarty pants and I just wanted to know how plants like cacti are able to survive in the desert without much water.
Heck, why didn't you just say so?
It all starts in my roots.
Cacti like me have shallow roots that sit just a few inches beneath the ground to slurp up any water we can get our hands on.
Our roots can also extend out sideways to help us collect as much water as possible when it does rain It also helps that we don't got no leaves So we don't lose much water through evaporation like other plants No offense, Sonny It's all good, dude Also, there's lots of room to store water in our thick
stems Some of us, Cacti, can go two years without a sip of fresh water Two years?
Wow, that's a long time You're darn tootin', we're as tough an ombre as they come I'll say One more question, Cactus Jack If a Smarty Pants were ever to get lost in the desert Would they be able to get water from inside a cactus?
What, you think cause we store water inside us You can just crack us open and enjoy a cool, refreshing drink?
Maybe. Yeah, well, don't try it.
The liquid cacti produce is very acidic and might give you a tummy ache.
Or worse. That is, if we don't poke you with our sharp needles.
Ouch, that's good to know, Cactus Jack.
What do you know? The sun is starting to set and it's getting late.
I'm sure looking forward to a good night's sleep.
But what do plants do at night?
What do you think, smarty pants?
Do plants sleep? The answer is, no way, dude!
Unlike humans and animals, plants don't have central nervous systems that tell us when it's time to go to sleep.
But plants do have circadian rhythms that help us tell what time of day it is.
This helps us prepare for photosynthesis before sunrise And tells us when to produce our natural sunscreen during the hottest part of the day And sunflowers are famous for following the sun It's true We face east to catch the sun when it rises And turn to keep facing it as it crosses the sky and sets
in the west Of course, once we get too old we just chill out.
But if plants don't sleep, why do some plants look like they're sleeping at night?
Are they just pretending so their parents don't get mad?
Not quite, dude. The most common explanation comes from a plant behavior called phototropism.
This is the movement of a plant when exposed to light.
During the daytime, plants grow toward the sunlight to get as much sun as possible for maximum energy.
At night, plants have no light to grow towards, so they look droopier.
If you see a plant looking sleepy during the daytime, try giving it some water.
Sweet. Thanks for all your help today, Sonny.
Happy to help, man.
Uh -oh. I think our friend Fun Guy is back.
Actually, that was me.
I ate too many sunflower seeds.
Hey! A super special shout -out to Oliver and his teacher, Mom Jamie, in Mad River, California.
Thanks for being such awesome smarty fans of Who Smarted?
This episode, Plants, was written by Brad DePrima, and voiced by Brandon Botany Bayliss, Adam Dandelion Davis, and Jerry Kolber.
Technical direction and sound design by Josh Horticulture Han.
Who Smarted is recorded and mixed at the Relic Room Studios.
Our associate producer is Max Carnation Kamaski.
The theme song is by Brian Sunflowers Suarez with lyrics written and performed by Adam Tex -Davis.
Who Sparted was created and produced by Adam Tex -Davis and Jerry Colber.
This has been an Atomic Entertainment production.
