Plant Nutrition

1. How plants make carbohydrates

( organic compounds) using energy from light
Carbon dioxide + water (chlorophyll)
Light energy
Glucose +
oxygen
Light energy
6CO2+ 6H2O (chlorophyll) C6H12O6 + 6O2
2. How leaf is adapted to it function
leaf structure
Parts of leaf Function

1. Cuticle 1.Waxy material that prevents water evaporation from leafs (

impermeable to water)thus decreasing transpiration
2. Protect the inner surface of leaf by preventing the entry of
disease causing organism ( bacteria, fungi)
3.Tranparent with no chloroplast to allow passage of light to
inner layer of leaf

2.Upper epidermis 1. Single layer of cells , secreting waxy cuticle

2. Act as a barrier against bacteria & fungi
3. Transparent with no chloroplast to allow
passage of light to inner layer of leaf
3. Mesophyll layer 1.tall thin cells arranged in columns ,end on to keep as few
( meso = middle , cell walls as possible between sunlight and chloroplast.
phyll = layer ) 2. Packed with chloroplast arranged broad side on to absorb
as much sunlight as possible , but in strong sunlight they
arrange themselves end on to reduce amount of light
absorbed .
Continue 3. mesophyll
layer

3. Cells arranged close together with tiny airspaces

,to absorb as much light energy as possible
4. Chlorophyll arranged on flat membrane inside
chloroplast ,to expose as much chlorophyll as
possible to sunlight

4. Spongy mesophyll 1. Contain chloroplast to absorb light energy for

photosynthesis
2. Cells are rounded & loosely packed with air spaces to
allow easier diffusion of gases through leaf
3. Air spaces are saturated with water vapor to allow
diffusion of water out of leaf down concentration
gradient ( transpiration)
4. .cells are covered with a layer of water where carbon
dioxide dissolved and diffuse through cell wall / cell
membrane .
5. Stomata Opening to allow carbon dioxide to diffuse in
Stoma ( single) and oxygen out .
6. Guard cell Present in pairs surrounding a stoma ( hole)
Unlike other cells in the epidermis , they contain
chloroplast and control the opening and close of
stoma for :
1. Gaseous exchange
2. Controlling transpiration .

Xylem With thick lignified walls to transport water and

vessels mineral salts to cells in the leaf
7. Vein ( vascular bundle)
Phloem With thin wall to carry away sucrose and other
tube organic products that the leaf has made
 Describing photosynthesis
1. Carbon dioxide diffuses through stomata in leaf .
2. Water absorbed from soil by roots, moves up to
stem through the xylem vessels to leaf by
osmosis
3. Chlorophyll in chloroplast absorbs / traps light
energy
Where light energy makes carbon dioxide combine
with water ( with the help of enzyme) to make
glucose ( organic compound) , now light energy is
converted into chemical energy stored in glucose
4. Oxygen is released
How leaf is adapted for photosynthesis
• Leaf function
1. Gaseous exchange:
Thin leaf for short diffusion distance to allow fast
diffusion of carbon dioxide and oxygen in & out of
leaf.
2. Large surface area to expose it to as much air as
possible for gas exchange.
3. Has stomata for gas exchange.
Has large air spaces to increase rate of gas diffusion
How leaf is adapted for photosynthesis
In dark In bright light In dim light
Plant respires only so Rate of photosynthesis is Rate of photosynthesis
oxygen diffuses into the higher than respiration so nearly equal to that of
leaf and carbon dioxide carbon dioxide diffuses respiration so no gas
Out into the leaf and oxygen exchange as the gaseous
out of the leaf products of each process
are used by each other
 2 absorption of light
• Leaf is broad & flat for large surface
area to absorb more light
• Thin leaf for light to penetrate and
reach cells
• Palisade layer packed with
chloroplast found near the upper
surface
• Movement of chloroplast towards
light source
• Spongy layer and guard cells
contain chloroplast to trap more
light
• Thin epidermal cells & cuticle are
transparent to allow light
penetration.
 3. Uptake and transfer of water
Water is brought from the root by xylem vessels
 Fate of glucose produced by photosynthesis
Glucose is small soluble and highly reactive molecule
1. Condensation reaction :
forming sucrose( complex sugar) small, soluble but reactive, so it can
be transported to other parts of the plant by dissolving in the sap of
phloem vessels then other parts they need it to :
1. Be broken and turned into glucose to be used in respiration to
release energy needed for metabolic reactions in plants
2. Turned into ( condensed) starch ( polysaccharide) for storage (
starch is insoluble so doesn`t affect water potential in plant cell
3. To make amino acid : which then condensed to build up protein
molecules needed for growth
4. To make oils stored in seeds
5. Forming cellulose in cell wall
6. Used to make nectar to attract pollinators stored in fruit to attract
animals ( important for pollination and seed dispersal )
Factors affecting rate of photosynthesis

1.light intensity
2.carbon dioxide concentration
3. temperature
 Limiting factors of photosynthesis
• Limiting factor: is an environmental factor
being internal/ external as (
CO2,light,temp.)present in a short supply that
limits rat of a reaction
( as photosynthesis/Growth)
 Availability of factor A leads to
For plants to grow in large numbers/ at high rate? They
should be provided with the following :
1. Fewer limiting factor in their habitat
( CO2,light intensity)
2. Controlling a suitable temperature to avoid plant over
heating that might Couse enzymatic denaturing ( higher
rate of photosynthesis SO more food ( starch) for growth.
3. No animals to feed on it
4. More fertile soil by adding more minerals
5. No disease
 Glasshouses
• To solve the problem caused by limiting factor
Growing the plants in glasshouse ( green house)
Factors controlled in green house to give high yield of
crop:
1. Thermostat for controlling temperature
2. Controlling& reducing effect of limiting factor by
• Providing artificial light source when light intensity
is low
• Providing shade when light intensity is too high
• Temperature controlling by & good ventilation
• CO2 enrichment using bicarbonate HCO3
• Controlling humidity by ventilation
3. Using fertilizers to provide required minerals
4. Easier to control pests , disease and weeds