Group Members:

#13 Carpeso, Zhaquill

#14 Celino, Jonathan
#15 Chua, Holiday
#16 Coning, Jumel Doria
#17 Corpuz, Khrisna Dasha
#18 Elmubarak, Fatima


Title: Uptake of Carbon Dioxide and Evolution of Oxygen
Materials:
- 2 Iron stands
- 2 Iron Clamps
- 2 Clamp Holders
- 2 Test Tubes
- 2 Erlenmeyer flasks
- 2 Corks
- Strings and pins
- Digman Leaves (Hydrilla Verticillata)
- Phenol red dye
- Plastic Straws
Objectives:
1) To observe how Carbon dioxide is taken in by the
digman leaves during the process of photosynthesis.
2) To know the evolution of Oxygen.
Procedure:
Place about 70mL of distilled water in a 250mL flask.

Add minute amount of Phenol red dye

With a plastic straw, blow mouthfuls of your breath
into the solution until it becomes yellowish (acidic).

Fill a large tube with the acidified solution up to two-
thirds its full capacity.

Pin a bundle of Hydrilla to the bottom of a cork
stopper

Carefully plug this to the mouth of the tube so that
the Hydrilla is immersed in the solution.

Clamp the prepared tube in inverted position to an
iron stand

Expose the set-up under the sun for 30-60 minutes.
Observe the evolution of oxygen gas and the
corresponding change in color of the solution rom
yellowish back to red.
Results:
- The result of this experiment is the change of the
phenol red dye from yellow (acidic) back to red
(neutral). Oxygen bubbles are seen at the top part of
the inverted test tube.



Explanation:
- We all know that the liquid used in this experiment
contains phenol red dye which is a pH indicator, that
when it is yellow, it is acidic, and that when it is red,
it is basic. When Carbon Dioxide, which came from
our breaths, was inputted into the water solution,
the color of our indicator turned yellow because the
reaction between water and carbon dioxide produce
an acid, which is Carbonic Acid. Now when we placed
the Hydrilla into the solution and placed it under the
sunlight, the color of our indicator turned red once
again. This is due to the absorption of the Carbon
dioxide by the Hydrilla, because they underwent the
process of Photosynthesis (light-dependent reaction),
which is carbon dioxide plus water plus sunlight as
the source of energy which yields to glucose and
oxygen. Therefore, the liquid in the experiment no
longer has carbon dioxide to react with; thus, the
liquid is no longer acidic.
Conclusion:
- The main objective of this experiment was to
observe how carbon dioxide is taken in by the
digman leaves during the process of photosynthesis
and another one of the objectives is the evolution of
oxygen. When carbon dioxide and water mixes, they
produce carbonic acid, H2CO3. Carbonic acid then
dissociates into hydrogen ions and bicarbonate ions.
In addition of water, the digman leaves needed
carbon dioxide to undergo photosynthesis: 12H2O +
6CO2 + Light C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6H2O. This is why
the liquid turned from a yellowish shade to a redish
shade. The bicarbonate ions were taken in by the
leaves. Also, air bubbles were seen as a result of the
experiment. This is due to oxygen being a by-
product of photosynthesis. In the light reactions of
photosynthesis, oxygen, NADPH and ATP are
produced.
The experiment was focused on the light dependent
reaction of photosynthesis. This takes place in the
thylakoid membrane. Light hits Photosystem II (PSII)
and Photosystem I (PSI) and provides the energy
needed for electrons to travel through an electron
transport chain. Photosystems are proteins
containing chlorophyll. The electrons move through
protein carriers until they reach NADPH. The
electrons then combine with NADPH and gives
NADPH energy. Water however is split into oxygen
and hydrogen ions. The oxygen is simply released as
a waste product of the splitting of water; this caused
the air bubbles in the experiment. The movement of
electrons mentioned earlier actually pumps protons
(produced by the splitting of water) inside the
thylakoid. This creates a positive charge inside the
thylakoid. The accumulated protons then go through
a protein called ATP Synthase and produce ATP,
equipped with energy. In conclusion, oxygen is
released and ATP and NADPH (both with energy) are
now in the stroma (outside of the thylakoid) and are
now ready to undergo the next step of
photosynthesis, which is the Calvin Cycle.
References:
- Botany: An Introduction to Botany by James
Mauseth
- Laboratory Manual
- <http://www.life.illinois.edu/govindjee/paper/gov.ht
ml>