Rusch 1

Evan Rusch
Advanced Biology
Ms. McCarthy

Optimal Temperatures for the Production of Oxygen Through Photosynthesis

Plants play an essential role in the composition of the air we breathe here on Earth. Plants
produce oxygen through the process of photosynthesis, which is the conversion of light and
Carbon Dioxide (CO2) to produce glucose, their food, and Oxygen (O2), their waste. This waste
is expelled from the plant into our atmosphere, and we use the O2 to carry out cell respiration.
The previous experiment has been conducted to find the optimum thermal environment for plants
to maximize their production of Oxygen gas. If temperatures remain moderate -- between
approximately 60 and 90 degrees fahrenheit, between about 20 and 30 degrees Celsius -- then O2
will be produced maximally.
In order to conduct this experiment, an aquatic plant was situated and submerged inside
of an aquarium in which the amount of light intensity and CO2 levels remained constant. The
water in the tank was ample enough to submerge the plant, yet allowed enough air space to
collect the produced oxygen gas. The temperature inside the aquarium was the only manipulable
variable. Data were recorded of the plants oxygen production at different temperatures, using
increments of 5 degrees Celsius. The first recorded temperature was taken at 0 degrees C, and the
final test was recorded at 50 degrees C. A gas collection chamber was inserted into the aerial
portion of the aquarium in order to measure the Oxygen levels.
The data recorded in the previous experiment are expressed below.

Rusch 2

10

15

20

25

30

35

40

45

50

O2 (mL/h)

0.0

0.3

3.1

16.4

26.1

26.1

26.1

9.2

1.3

0.1

0.0

The results shown confirm my hypothesis. The maximum production of Oxygen gas
occurred between 20 and 30 degrees Celsius, which is between approximately 68 and 86 degrees
Fahrenheit. The portion of the data that is most interesting, however, was not intended to be
tested in my experiment. My hypothesis and experiment focussed solely on obtaining conditions
for maximal Oxygen production, not minimal. The results from the experiment show that at
extreme temperatures, the production of Oxygen stops entirely, which is interesting.