Cambridge Checkpoint

Science
Year 8
 Biology
 Unit 1 : Plants
1.1 Photosynthesis
1.2 Leaves
1.3 Investigating photosynthesis
1.4 Roots
1.5 Transporting water and minerals
1.1 Photosynthesis
 Living things like human, animals and plants need energy to survive.
 A food chain is a series of consumers, following a producer (plants) in the beginning.
 Energy from the Sun (sunlight) is captured by the plants (producer) and it produces its
own food (photosynthesis). The plants further passes the energy partially to the other
organisms (consumer) in the food chain. This occurs when human/animals (consumer)
eats the plant. This continues until the end of the food chain (decomposer).

Photosynthesis is changing water and carbon dioxide

Into oxygen and food using energy from sunlight.

Plants need :
- Carbon Dioxide
- Water
- Sunlight
To make :
- Food
- Oxygen
1.2 Leaves
 Leaves are green colour because it has chlorophyll (green pigment/colour)
 Chlorophyll in the leaves carry out photosynthesis by capturing energy from
sunlight. This energy is also used to make food for itself.
1.3 Investigating Photosynthesis
Collecting gas produced in the photosynthesis.
 How can we tell if a leaf is photosynthesizing ? We know that photosynthesis
produces oxygen.
 So, one of the simplest ways is to check if it is giving off (releasing) oxygen
gas. This is easiest to do if the leaf is under water, because the oxygen gas
makes bubbles.
 If the glowing wooden splinter lights up, this proves that oxygen gas is
released in the photosynthesis process.

*Provide enough
light for faster
process.
Investigating the rate of photosynthesis
 Is there a correlation between light intensity and the rate of photosynthesis?
 Changing the light intensity will result in a change in the rate of
photosynthesis.
 To measure the rate of photosynthesis, you can measure how much gas the
plant gives off in a certain length of time.
 You can count how many bubbles the weed gives off in one minute
(responding variable/measure).
 To give the plant a high light intensity, you can place a lamp close to the
plant. For a lower light intensity, place the lamp further away (manipulative
variable/change)
 Use the same water plant (constant variable/no change) to repeat the
experiment for average result.
1.4 Roots
 Roots are usually underground of a plant.
 Functions of roots:
➢ Roots absorb water and minerals from the soil. These are then transported
to all the other parts of the plant.
➢ Roots anchor the plant firmly in the ground, so it is not pulled out when the
wind blows strongly, or when an animal pulls on the leaves.
➢ Some plants store food in their roots.
➢ When conditions are difficult – for example, in a cold winter, or a dry summer
some plants allow their aboveground parts to die. Only the underground roots
continue to live. New shoots (above-ground parts) grow from the roots when
conditions become better.
How roots absorb water and minerals

 Soil consists of rock particles which has waters in it. Minerals are dissolved in
that water.
 Root’s surface has tiny special cells called root hairs.
 Root hair cells provide a really big surface through which water and minerals
can be absorbed.
1.5 Transporting water and minerals
 Water in the soil is absorbed by roots and transported to other parts of the
plant like the stem and leaves.
Xylem Vessels
 Xylem vessels are long, hollow tubes that carry water and minerals from the
roots of the plant to its leaves. In a tree, the xylem vessels reach all the way
up the trunk and to the very tips of the branches.
 Xylem vessels are very tiny, but have strong and hard walls to support the
plant while transporting water and minerals.
 The wood in a tree trunk is made up of xylem vessels.
 The xylem vessels continue inside the leaves. The veins in a leaf contain
xylem vessels.
Xylem in roots, stem and leaves of a plant
1) What gives a leaf its green colour?
2) What are the essential elements for photosynthesis to take place?
3) Where does the plant get energy from?
4) What helps in water and mineral transportation in plants?
THE END