• Question: Hey, I hope you doing well. my question is if human could photosynthesize like plant, how would our biological daily life change

    Asked by Daniel to Tom K, DrLukeF, joykaye, Glyn B, Eleftheria S, Alice on 23 Sep 2025.
    • Photo: Luke Fountain

      Luke Fountain answered on 23 Sep 2025:

      If we photosynthesised like plants, life would be very different! We would feed on sunlight just like plants do, and would breathe in carbon dioxide and breathe out oxygen. However, if plants were still doing the same thing, our atmosphere would also change. Animals and plants work together to maintain balance, with plants taking in CO2 and releasing oxygen, and animals taking in oxygen and producing CO2. If we all used CO2, the levels in the atmosphere would likely change and this could change the climate in a whole different way!

    • Photo: Eleftheria Stavridou

      Eleftheria Stavridou answered on 24 Sep 2025:

      What a cool question!!!!

      If humans could photosynthesize, our biology and daily lives would change a lot. Photosynthesis makes sugars using light, carbon dioxide, and water, so we’d rely less on eating food for energy. However, photosynthesis is not very efficient. A human body needs thousands of calories per day, and even with green, chlorophyll-packed skin, we could only make a small fraction of that energy from sunlight. This means we’d still need to eat, but probably less.

      Our skin would likely be green or contain special organelles like chloroplasts. We’d spend more time outside in daylight—classrooms, offices, and houses might be built with big windows or rooftop gardens to maximize sunlight. People in sunny countries might “photosynthesize” more effectively than those in cloudy regions, which could create new social or even economic differences.

      Daily rhythms would change too. Daytime would be our main “charging” period, while nights might feel more like a natural rest phase. Food industries would shrink, but farming would still be needed for nutrients that photosynthesis doesn’t provide (like proteins, vitamins, and minerals).

Comments