David Latimer’s experiment

The hardy spiderworts plant inside has grown to fill the 10-gallon (38 litres) container by surviving entirely on recycled air, nutrients and water.

As it has access to light, it continues to photosynthesize. The water builds up on the inside of the bottle and then rains back down on the plants in a miniature version of the water cycle.

As leaves die, they fall off and rot at the bottom producing the carbon dioxide and nutrients required for more plants to grow.