Photosynthesis

Process by which plants manufacture carbohydrates from raw materials using energy from light

Sun Light
Carbon dioxide + Water Glucose + Oxygen.
6 CO2 + 6 H2O Chlorophyll C6 H12 O6 + 6 O2

Importance:
1. Bring energy from sun for plant and other living organisms.
2. Give off O2 for respiration and stop CO2 in the atmosphere from rising too high.

Intake of raw material:

1) CO2 : 0.04% in air
1. Diffuse from air through stomata to air spaces, to mesophyll cells and into chloroplasts.
2. CO2 from respiration in cells.
2) Water: absorbed by root hair cells from soil by osmosis then up the xylem to chloroplasts in leaf.
3) Trapping of sun light energy.

Light

chloroplast
water

CO2
Chloroplasts is the site of photosynthesis it contains pigment, chlorophyll which
 Traps light energy and changes it into chemical energy in molecules (ATP), needed to combine CO2 with
water with help of enzymes for the synthesis of glucose.
 Trap blue, red, and reflect green color so plant looks green & can’t photosynthesize in green light.

1 Plant nutrition
Adaptations of leaves for photosynthesis:
1. Broad lamina: large surface area and more light and gas exchange.
2. Thin:
 Light penetrates easily
 Short distance of diffusion of CO2 and O2 .
3. Epidermis:
Upper epidermis:
 Thin, transparent with no chloroplasts to let light through to mesophyll layers.
 Secrete waxy cuticle which stop water evaporating from leaf.
Lower epidermis:
 Guard cells control opening of stomata, and have chloroplasts to share in photosynthesis.
 Stomata: allow CO2 to diffuse in and O2 and water out.
4. Mesophyll layer:
Palisade cells: (main site of photosynthesis)
 Elongated, tightly packed and stacked upright
 Thin cell walls to obtain water and CO2 easily.
 Contain many chloroplasts.
1. More in palisade layer closer to light, less in spongy and least in guard cells.
2. Closely packed and no overlap.
3. Can lie broad side on to expose more chlorophyll to light.
4. Chlorophyll on membranes to expose as much as possible to sunlight.
Spongy cells: have
 Large surface area and moist and this increase gas exchange
 Close to air spaces allows diffusion of CO2 and oxygen to & from cells.
 Contain chloroplasts to share in photosynthesis.
5. Vascular bundles: (transport system) near to every mesophyll cell.
 Xylem: carry water to cells for photosynthesis.
 Phloem: take away sucrose and other organic products of photosynthesis.

Xylem

Phloem

2 Plant nutrition
Fate of products of photosynthesis:
1. Glucose:
a) Used in respiration to release energy for the plant cells.
b) Condensed to sucrose for translocation in phloem as it is less reactive than glucose.
Glucose: is small and soluble in water so
• Reactive and involved in unwanted reactions.
• Affect osmotic balance of leaf cells.
c) Condensed to cellulose for cell walls.
d) Condensed to starch and stored in chloroplasts. Starch is
• Not very soluble nor reactive and does not affect cell osmotic balance.
• Compact molecule can be made into granules and stored in chloroplasts.
e) Glucose with nitrate ions forms amino acids, which join to form proteins.
f) Glucose with nitrate and magnesium ions produces chlorophyll.
g) Lipids for cell membrane.
2. Oxygen: Used by the plant in respiration.

Plant mineral requirements

Minerals are absorbed from soil by the root hair cells by diffusion or active transport.
1. Nitrate: or ammonium ions used to form amino acids and proteins e.g. enzymes, chlorophyll
Deficiency cause
 Reduced growth, shorter plants, smaller roots and leaves and thin stem.
 Pale green or yellow leaves due to lack of chlorophyll (it is a protein).
2. Magnesium: needed to form chlorophyll
Effect on appearance of plant: yellowing of leaves, (chlorosis) due to less chlorophyll.
Effect on growth of plant:
 Less photosynthesis and less glucose and reduced sucrose transport.
 Less energy for, growth and active transport and protein synthesis.
3. Calcium for plant metabolic activities and phosphorus, iron, potassium, Sulphur.

3 Plant nutrition
Factors affecting the rate of photosynthesis: Light, CO2, water
Limiting factor:
Something present in the environment in such short supply that it restricts life processes.
1. Light intensity:
Photosynthesis stops in dark and slows in dim light, light is limiting factor in the morning and evening.
 Between A and B light is limiting factor, as increase in light increase photosynthesis.
 Between B and C light it is not as increase in light does not increase photosynthesis, may be CO2 is
not enough or Low temperature.

2. CO2: always a limiting factor 0.04% in atmosphere.

Increasing CO2 increase photosynthesis up to a point when maximum is reached.
3. Temperature: photosynthesis is than a cold one.
Photosynthesis is slow at low temperature, cold day and faster on warm day
At high temperature enzymes are denatured and stomata close so no CO2.
4. Water: could be a limiting factor in dry season.
5. Stomata: if closed in hot weather photosynthesis may slow or stop.
6. Chloroplast, chlorophyll, number of leaves, size of plant.

How to know which is the limiting factor at certain point?

Increase the factor if rate of photosynthesis increases so it is a limiting factor at this point.

Gaseous exchange in plants

Bright light Dark Dim light

Photosynthesis > Respiration
O2 out and CO2 in
Mass increase: production of
organic material.
Respiration only
O2 in and CO2 out
Mass decrease: breakdown
of organic material.
Photosynthesis = Respiration
No gas exchange
Compensation point
No change in mass

4 Plant nutrition
 Glass-house

A closed place made of glass covering fertile soil where plants are cultivated.
Glass allows heat from sun to enter and prevent its escape so temperature inside is higher.
Used in tropical and temperate countries which is too cold for growth of crops
What and how to control in glasshouse? Computer controlled.
1. CO2 enrichment by gas cylinder.
2. Light: strength and wavelength is controlled by artificial light in cloudy or dark areas.
3. Optimum temperature by heaters or ventilators.
4. Shading in tropical areas with excessive light and temperature.
5. Water and minerals added to soil or hydroponics.
6. Control pests and weeds by pesticides or biological control.
This causes:
 No limiting factors which increases rate of photosynthesis.
 More glucose is produced.
 Rapid growth and high crop yield.
 Fruits ripen quickly.

Testing a leaf for starch

Production of starch = photosynthesis.
1. Drop a healthy leaf in boiling water in a water bath for 30 seconds.
 Break cell membranes, dissolve cuticle so cells more permeable to iodine.
 Denature enzymes so no further chemical reactions.
2. Boil it in alcohol in water bath to remove green chlorophyll which masks color change with iodine.
3. Dip the leaf into water to soften it as it become brittle.
4. Place iodine on the leaf
 Starch is present: leaf turn blue black
 Starch is absent: leaf remains brown
Safety precautions:
• Wear eye protection and use forceps to handle the leaf (boiling water).
• Alcohol is flammable s heat in water bath to prevents risk of fire.
• Turn off Bunsen flame before putting alcohol tube into hot water.

5 Plant nutrition
 To show that CO2 is necessary for photosynthesis

1. Destarch a plant and put a leaf in container with soda lime and other with distilled water.
2. Take care that no air gets into the flasks and leave in a warm sunny window few days.
3. Test each leaf for starch with iodine.
 Leaf with distilled water photosynthesis occurred, starch is formed gives blue black.
 Leaf with KOH gives, no photosynthesis, no starch gives brown color.

KOH and soda lime absorb CO2 from the air.

To show that chlorophyll is needed for photosynthesis

1. Destarch a plant with variegated (green and white) leaves.

2. Green parts contain chlorophyll while white ones no.
3. Leave plant in a warm, sunny spot for a few days.
4. Test leaves for starch.
 Green parts give blue black, (formed starch).
 White areas give brown.
5. Control of the experiment is the green part.

To show that light is necessary for photosynthesis

1. Destarch potted green plant, leave few days in cupboard.

2. Test leaf for starch to check that it does not contain starch.
3. Cut L shape black paper and fasten it over both sides of leaf.
4. Leave near a warm, sunny window few days and remove and test leaf for starch.
 Uncovered areas give blue black with iodine
 Covered areas give brown color.
5. Control is the uncovered part of the leaf.

Why destarching:
Starch detected is formed during experiment.

6 Plant nutrition
Effect of light intensity, CO2, temperature on rate of photosynthesis:
Investigate one factor at once.
Effect of light intensity: hypothesis, increasing light intensity increase photosynthesis
1. Immerse part of Elodea in test tube.
2. Independent variable: shine lamp on Elodea from 60 cm and move lamp to change light intensity.
3. Dependent variable measured is rate of photosynthesis i.e. volume of O2.
4. Observation:
 Plant photosynthesizes and produces oxygen which rises to the top of the tube.
 O2 creates pressure that force water down the capillary tube, meniscus move down.
 Increasing light intensity (near lamp) more distance travelled by air bubble.
5. Syringe: return air bubble to top of tubing if investigating another factor.

To improve this experiment:

1. Take several readings for each tested factor and calculate an average.
2. Measure rate of O2 produced by gas syringe and calculate rate as volume divided by time.
3. Controlled variables which can affect rate of photosynthesis.
 Light intensity by:
 Light meter that measure and maintain constant light intensity.
 Ruler: make sure the lamp is at right distance as light intensity is dependent on distance
 Temperature: by glass tank which acts as heat filter or water bath and thermometer.
 CO2 by adding sodium hydrogen carbonate.
 Time by digital watch.

7 Plant nutrition
 To show that oxygen is produced during photosynthesis

1. Put Elodea in water in a beaker and cover with inverted funnel.

2. Put inverted test tube full of water on the funnel and
3. Leave near a warm, sunny window for a few days.
4. Remove test tube allowing water to run out, but not allowing gas to escape.
5. Put glowing splint into the gas in the test tube it bursts into flame,
6. So, gas is oxygen.
7. Control is same apparatus and glass beads used instead of plant.

Making a nail varnish impression to see stomata

1. Paint the underside of a leaf with transparent nail varnish and leave to dry.
2. Peel off nail varnish, and mount it in a drop of water on a microscope slide.
3. Spread it out carefully, and cover it with a cover slip.
4. Look under microscope, and make a labeled drawing of the impressions made by cells.
5. Repeat with the upper surface of a leaf.

Carbon dioxide uptake

Hydrogen carbonate indicator is used to show CO2 concentration in solution. It is:

Leaf Indicator cover observation

1 Yellow Aluminum Respiration no photosynthesis so high CO2 concentration
2 Red Tissue paper Respiration equal photosynthesis, normal CO2 in atmosphere
3 Purple No cover Photosynthesis more than respiration, Low CO2 concentration
4 Red Boiled leaf No photosynthesis or respiration

8 Plant nutrition