Investigation on photosynthesis by the plant Elodea canadensis.

This paper is meant both as a manual and a report.

Names: Fred YL, Fred VBI, Basil, Ellen

Research question: How does light intensity influence the rate of photosynthesis.

Theory: Nearly all plants contain chloroplasts, which makes it possible for them conduct
photosynthesis. They can produce carbohydrates from carbon dioxide (CO 2) and water (H2O), when
they receive energy in the form of light. The carbohydrates can then be transformed to other
substances such as lipids, proteins and nucleic acids. That is, plants are AUTOTROPHIC (“self
supplying”), they build up the organic macromolecules from inorganic substances.

Figure 1 Photosynthesis and respiration in a plant.

Write the adjusted equation for the photosynthesis.

6CO2 + 6H2O  C6H12O6 + 6O2

Animals depend on the organic substances produced by plants since they cannot build these
themselves. That is, they have their nutrition and energy from eating plants and/or other animals.
Humans are animals, and as such like all other animals, most fungi and bacteria: HETEROTROPHIC
(different nourished).

All living organisms convert the energy from the organic macromolecules into an energy form that
fuels metabolism: ATP. ATP is an energy rich chemical compound that provides energy for
enzymatic processes, membrane pumps and all other energy-requiring processes inside cells. The
conversion of the energy from energy inside the glucose molecule into energy inside the ATP
molecule is named respiration. In the process, glucose is broken down and oxidated using free
oxygen. The products of the respiration are carbon dioxide and water.

Write the adjusted equation for respiration.

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 C6H12O6  6CO2 + 6H2O + Energy (ATP)

The water plant Elodea canadensis (pond weed) is used in this experiment. It transports the gas
produced in photosynthesis in air-channels through the stem, which leads to the root in the often
oxygen-poor mud in the bottom of the freshwater. This means that when we cut the stem in our
experiment, gas bubbles will form at the end of the stem where it is cut. By turning the stem up-side-
down the bubbles will raise to the top of an inverted test tube and thereby lending themselves for a
count of bubbles produced per unit time (min f.ex.). This set-up is a measure of the rate of
photosynthesis in the Elodea.

Materials:
Beaker with water
A temperature insulator (larger beaker with water)
Mineral water (CO2 containing water)
Waterplant: Elodea canadensis
Source of light: lamp
Scissors
Thermometer

Method:
Steps:
Fill up the Elodea beaker with water until ca. 2 cm from the top.
The plant is lowered into the water, inverted (the top of the plant downwards inside an inverted test
tube). Then cut the stem with a pair of scissors at a tilt ca. 2 cm below the water surface. Add 20 drops
of CO2 water and then the plant is placed 1.2 m from the lamp.
The plant adapts to the light for some minutes, then you count the number of bubbles coming from the
cut stem in 1 minute.
After this, the distance to the source of light is halved - the plant adapts to the light again for some
minutes - and you count the bubbles again for 1 minute. This is repeated until the distance to the
source of light is 0.08 m.

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 Figure 4 Setup of experiment with Elodea canadensis.

Hypothesis:

What do you expect is happening with the number of bubbles when the plant is moved closer to the
lamp? Give an explanation.

If the distance between the lamp and the Elodea decreases, the amount of bubbles per minute
increases

Results:

Number of bubbles/Distance. 1.2 m 0.6 m 0.3 m 0.15 m 0.08 m

Your own results 97 90 86 72 69

Mark your results into a system of coordinates.

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 Bubbles created every minute by an elodea plant with a
lamp at different distances
120
Bubbles observed a minute (b/m)

100

80

60

40

20

0
0 0.2 0.4 0.6 0.8 1 1.2 1.4
Distance (m)

What relation do you find between the distance to the lamp and the number of bubbles?
Give an explanation.

We found that as the distance of the lamp decreased, the number of bubbles created every minute
decreased. This data did not support our hypothesis but the data was unexpected as there had been
other groups which had done the same experiment but had recieved the opposite effect where as the
distance of the lamp decreased, the number of bubbles increased.

What gas is the main constituent of the bubbles? Explain your answer.

O2

Conclusion.

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Sum up what your experiment has shown.