The plants seen here are all multicellular. They make their own food using photosynthesis. Other microscopic organisms, called algae, also make their own food. They are not plants, but protists. Many kinds of algae are unicellular. Multicellular plants and unicellular algae have one important feature in common. What is it?

chemical energy is stored in the chemical bonds of atoms and molecules. it can only be seen when it is released in a chemical reaction. when chemical energy is released, the substance from which the energy came is often changed into an entirely different substance.

this chemical reaction releases energy in the form of light and heat. chemical energy is the potential energy stored in the arrangement of atoms within molecules. breaking chemical bonds requires energy, while forming new chemical bonds releases energy.

the atp molecule can store energy in the form of a high energy phosphate bond joining the terminal phosphate group to the rest of the molecule. in this form,energy can be stored at one location, then moved from one part of the cell to another, where it can be released to drive other biochemical reactions.