HILLSIDE SCHOOL

BIOLOGY LESSON NOTE and EXERCISE for 2013 ACADEMIC YEAR

Teacher's name: Selamu A. and Shimelis C. Subject: Biology
Grade: 10 Chapte/Unit: 4 Food making and growth in plants
Week: Three. Lesson: One Pages: 141-145
Topic(s): 4.1The leaf
Lesson objectives: At the end of this lesson, you will be able to explain
structures of a leaf.
UNIT 4 Food Making and Growth in Plants
4.1 The leaf
Flowering plants have the following main organs associated with plants’ food making.
 The flowers - the reproductive organs of plants producing seeds and fruits.
 The stem - support the plant, transport water, minerals and food up and down. They also store food.
 The roots which anchor the plant to the ground and absorb water and minerals.
 The leaves which use light energy, carbon dioxide and water to make food by photosynthesis
Leaf - a photosynthesizing machine
Plants leaves are photosynthetic machines that produce organic molecule glucose (C6H12O6) and release oxygen
from inorganic molecules (CO2 and H2O) in the presence of light energy. This process is called photosynthesis.
Leaves have external and internal strictures perfectly adapted maximum amount of photosynthesis to take place.
Externally, leaves are flat and wide to giving a large surface area to collect light energy.
Leaves have the following internal adaptations making them best suited for photosynthesis.
 The waxy cuticle - waterproof layer found on the surface of many leaves. It prevents unwanted water loss.
 The epidermis – a transparent one cell thick layer of cells prevent damage and excessive transpiration.
 Palisade mesophyll - a main site of photosynthesis made of a layer of elongated cells closely packed. It is
the most photosynthetic layer having highest concentration of chloroplast in the cells.
 Spongy mesophyll - a layer under the palisade mesophyll made up of loosely arranged irregular cells. It is
the second most photosynthetic layer.
 The vascular bundles – part of the transport system in vascular plants. These are xylem & phloem
 Chloroplast - organelle containing chlorophyll in the cytoplasm of plant cells (palisade, spongy & guard cells.

TELEGRAM EXERCISES/HOMEWORK
1. What are the three plant leaf structures where photosynthesis takes place?
2. Why you think palisade layer is most photosynthetic than spongy layer?
3. What makes spongey mesophyll or spongy layer to be spongy?
4. List out at least 6 external structures of a leaf.
5. What are the 2 inorganic substances used to make organic substances during
photosynthesis?

HILLSIDE SCHOOL
1
 BIOLOGY LESSON NOTE and EXERCISE for 2013 ACADEMIC YEAR
Teacher's name: Selamu A. and Shimelis C. Subject: Biology
Grade: 10 Chapte/Unit: 4 Food making and growth in plants
Week: Three. Lesson: Two Pages: 146-157
Topic(s): 4.2 Photosynthesis
Lesson objectives: At the end of this lesson, students will be able to: 1. Define what
photosynthesis is. 2. Explain factors need for photosynthesis.

4.2 Photosynthesis
What is photosynthesis?
Photosynthesis is an anabolic biochemical process in which chlorophyllous organisms make food
(glucose) from carbon dioxide and water. Photosynthesis can be summed up as:
Light energy
Carbon dioxide (6CO2) + water (6H2O) Glucose (C6H12O6 + oxygen (6O2)
Chlorophyll

The sugar or glucose produced is transformed into starch, fructose, sucrose, cellulose, amino acids, fats
and oils and chlorophyll. Glucose dissolves in water within the cells making osmosis to take place.
What is needed for photosynthesis?
Photosynthesis needs CO2, H2O, light energy and chlorophylls. Absence of one of these stuck the process.
Light – is source of energy, hydrogen and electrons photosynthesis to proceed. Light-dependent
reaction occurs only in the presence of light. The need of light for photosynthesis is demonstrated by
depriving of light from a plant.
Carbon dioxide is a substrate obtained from air or water. It makes sugar binding with hydrogen from water.
The need for CO2 is tested by supplying a photosynthesizing plant with CaCO2 or removing carbon
dioxide from the plant by KOH solution.
Water is the second substrate that supplies hydrogen for dark reaction of photosynthesis.
Chlorophyll molecules are used to capture light energy. To demonstrate that chlorophyll is needed for
photosynthesis, we use variegated (green and non-green) parts of a leaf.
The importance of photosynthesis
1. It captures solar energy and converted to chemical energy and made available to all life.
2. It supplies us with food in crops like teff, sorghum, millet, corn, barley, beans, etc.
3. It produces around 35 × 1015 kg of new biomass as food, structural materials, and others.
4. It produce large amounts of oxygen and takes up carbon dioxide (CO2) - greenhouse gas.
5. It is base for feeding relationships among organisms.
6. Maintains balance between CO2 and the atmospheric and water and oxygen levels.
TELEGRAM EXERCISES/HOMEWORK
1. What happens in light-independent reaction of photosynthesis?
2. Where chlorophyll molecules do comes from?
3. What are the outputs of photosynthesis?
4. What is the reagent applied to test for starch?
5. What happens if the reaction of photosynthesis ceases?