AUTOTROPHIC NUTRITION: PHOTOSYNTHESIS IN PLANTS

CLASS/SECTION: ​GRADE 12 – STEM H INSTRUCTOR: ​Ms. LaVera Sombito

GROUP NO. : ​4 DATE PERFORMED: ​November 20, 2017
GROUP MEMBERS: DATE PASSED: ​December 01, 2017
Ma. Angela Diarota (LEADER)
Janine Diosana
Thea Doreen Lanes
Martin Benedict Ramos

OBJECTIVES:

The primary goal of this experiment is to evaluate the production of starch in plants among the
three trials which included the leaf that was fully exposed to sunlight, the one partially covered
with black tape, and the fully covered with black or unexposed with any amount of sun and to
determine the various factors or aspects that affect it.

MATERIALS:

Healthy plants with green leaves

Beaker
Forceps
Petri dishes (3)
Dropper
Hot plate
Water
Warm water bath
Alcohol
Iodine solution (0.1 M potassium tri-iodide solution)
Potassium hydroxide crystals in Petri dish
Glass plates and bell jar or clear airtight container

INTRODUCTION:

In high school, we learned that autotrophs are organisms capable of making their own food.
Autotrophs are also called producers because they can use the energy in sunlight or chemicals
to produce food.
Photosynthesis is the chemical change which happens in the leaves of green plants. It is the first
step towards making food - not just for plants but ultimately every animal on the planet. In the
process of photosynthesis plants use the energy in sunlight to convert water, which is absorbed
through the plant’s roots, and carbon dioxide which is diffused through small holes in the
stomata of the leaf, into oxygen and high-energy carbohydrates. Photosynthesis occurs inside a
cell organelle called the chloroplast. The chloroplast contains green pigments called
chlorophyll, which capture the energy in sunlight. The equation for photosynthesis is as
follows:

Light

One of the products of photosynthesis is C​6​H​12​O​6​,​ ​which represents a molecule of glucose. As

the plant receives sunlight it is constantly producing glucose and then transporting it outside of
the chloroplast. However, the plant cannot transport glucose out of the chloroplast as fast as it
is produced. To solve this problem the plant combines the glucose molecules into a larger
molecule called starch. The glucose molecule is a monosaccharide that through the process of
dehydration synthesis, can form a larger molecule called a polysaccharide. This polysaccharide,
starch, is stored inside the chloroplast until it can be transported. ​The stored starch can later be
turned back into glucose and used in respiration.
In this experiment, the group tests leaves for starch to show that photosynthesis has happened,
rather than testing for glucose. The group aimed of testing leaves for starch to plants that have
been kept in controlled conditions in order to establish the conditions needed for
photosynthesis to occur.

A leaf from a healthy plant was wrapped in a black plastic bag and kept in the dark for 24 hours
for it to be de-starched. In another leaf, a black electrical tape was used to cover a portion of it
and was exposed to sunlight. The last leaf was left in perfect in condition, without any coverage
and perfectly exposed to sunlight. On the day of the experiment, the tape and the black plastic
bag was removed from the plant. Using forceps, the leaves were picked up held in the boiling
water for about 2 minutes. The boiled leaves were then in a beaker containing 90% ethanol.
The leaves were left boiling in the beaker until decolorization occurred. Using forceps, the
leaves were removed and rinsed in cold water. They were then placed in petri dishes and left to
be soaked with a few drops of iodine solution for a week.

RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:

The following are the results gathered and observed by the observers in the experiment:
 Image 1: Comparison of the the three leaves after the iodine test (Left to right: partially
exposed, unexposed, fully exposed)

Image 2: Fully exposed leaf after the iodine test

The uncovered part of leaf which was exposed to sunlight turns blue-black upon adding
iodine solution, showing that starch is present in this part of leaf. This means that the part of
leaf which was exposed to sunlight could do photosynthesis to make starch.

Image 3: Partially exposed leaf after the iodine test

Only the middle part of leaf which was covered with black tape does not turn blue-black
upon adding iodine solution, showing that no starch is present in this middle part of the leaf,
while the rest of the leaf turned blue-black. This is because sunlight could not reach the covered
'middle part' of the leaf due to which the covered 'middle part' of leaf could not do
photosynthesis to make starch.

Image 4: Completely blocked leaf after the iodine test

The leaf that was covered with the black bag does not turn to blue-black color upon
adding the iodine solution, showing that starch is not present in this leaf. This is because the
leaf did not receive any sunlight due to its cover, and it was not able to perform photosynthesis
to produce starch.

CONCLUSION/GENERALIZATION:

In conclusion, the recent experimentation was considered to be successful because the

students were able to fulfill the objective which is to evaluate the process of photosynthesis in
the three trials along with knowing the factors that affect the formation of starch. Although,
some of the leaves were not able to become bluish in color due to the covered parts not
undergoing the process of photosynthesis, this truly allowed the experimenters to understand
the concept and principle behind such an occurence. Furthermore, the three trials were also
distinctive enough to see each difference. One of the differences was that more bluish particles
were seen on the leaf that was not covered by anything and fully exposed to sunlight compared
to the other two. There is also the fact that it enabled the students to notice significant
experiences happening in a leaf's life and monitor how these processes are essential to its
survivability. All in all, the observations were key to ensure the experimenters understanding
and through this, they were given a chance to shift the perspective of life and see it through the
biological contexts of how leaves work and how wondrous nature is, in general​.