Plant Nutrition

Photosynthesis
 Plants are autotrophic as they are able to use external sources of energy and raw materials to
synthesise their own organic food.
 Photosynthesis in green plants is a process by which energy from the sun is transformed into
chemical energy in the form of carbohydrate molecules. Carbon dioxide and water react
together using sunlight absorbed by chlorophyll to produce glucose and oxygen. The word
equation for photosynthesis is:

The chemical equation for photosynthesis is:

6CO2 + 12H2O C6H12O6 + 6O2 + 6H2O

 Water is a product as well as being used as a reactant. Oxygen diffuses out of the leaf into
the atmosphere and it is used by living organisms in aerobic respiration.
 Photosynthesis occurs in chloroplasts in two stages:
(a) Light reaction
A light-dependant stage which requires light energy. During this reaction,
photolysis of water occurs i.e. photochemical splitting of water molecules into
hydrogen and oxygen, using the light energy trapped in the chlorophyll present
in the chloroplasts. The light energy is also converted to chemical energy in the
form of ATP (adenosine triphosphate)
(b) Dark reaction
Carbon dioxide is reduced by hydrogen (produced in the light stage) to form
glucose using ATP produced in the light stage. A temperature dependant state
as enzymes is involved.
 Carbon dioxide from the atmosphere diffuses into the leaf through the stomata. Once the
carbon dioxide enters the leaf, it dissolves in the thin film of water surrounding the spongy
mesophyll and palisade cells and it finally diffuses into the chloroplasts within the cells and
used in photosynthesis.

Leaf Structure
The main photosynthetic organ of a plant is a green leaf. Leaves are adapted so that photosynthesis
can take place as quickly and as efficiently as possible.
Adaptations of Leaves for
Photosynthesis
1. Waxy Cuticle is mainly present
on the upper side of the leaf to
reduce transpiration. It is
chemically composed of fats. In
arid conditions the cuticle is
actually quite thick.
2. Thin leaf so that light, carbon
dioxide, oxygen can reach all
parts in the leaf.
3. Flat leaf so that leaves have
more surface area for absorption
of maximum light.
4. Chloroplasts containing
chlorophyll are present in the
palisade mesophyll cells under upper epidermis, to absorb more light for photosynthesis. More
chloroplasts are present in the spongy mesophyll cells but in lesser amount.
5. Network of vein and veinlets are present in the leaf. They contain xylem and phloem vessels.
The xylem vessels provide water and mineral salts. The phloem vessel transport sucrose and
amino acids away from leaves to other plant parts. Together the xylem and phloem vessels are
known as vascular bundle.
6. Air spaces are present in the leaf in an interconnected system (also known as intercellular
space) so that carbon dioxide and oxygen can rapidly diffuse into and out of the leaf.
7. Stomata are largely present mostly in the lower surface of leaves for rapid diffusion of
carbon dioxide and oxygen between the leaf and the environment.
8. Petiole holds the leaf in such a position that maximum light falls onto it and attaches the leaf
to the plant.

Uses of Glucose
The Fate of Glucose
 Glucose is used in all living cells of a plant in respiration to release energy.
 It is converted to starch, usually during daytime, and is converted back to glucose according
 to its requirements.
 It can be converted to cellulose to make cellulose cell walls
 It can be converted to sucrose which is transported to other parts of the plant through
phloem vessels.
 They are converted to amino acids with the help of nitrate ions (NO31-). These amino acids can
be used in respiration to release energy when required. They can also be transported to other
parts of the plant, through phloem vessels along with sucrose. These amino acids are also used
to make plant proteins.
 It can be converted to fatty acids and glycerol in different chemical reactions. Fatty acids
and glycerol can be used to make plant fats e.g. soya bean oil, mustard oil, coconut oil, and to
release energy.
 Carbohydrates, fats, and proteins are all made from the chemical transformation of glucose
and are used to make cell membranes etc…
 DNA, RNA, vitamins, enzymes, hormones etc… are produced in plants by the further chemical
transformation of the products of photosynthesis.
 Glucose is converted to sucrose, which is stored in fruit.
  Used in the formation of nectar, to attract bees and other insects and help in pollination.

Limiting Factors
 If a plant is given unlimited sunlight, carbon dioxide and water and is at a warm temperature,
the limit on the rate (speed) at which it can photosynthesise is its own ability to absorb these
materials and make them react
 However, most often plants do not have unlimited supplies of their raw materials so their rate
of photosynthesis is limited by whatever factor is the lowest at that time
 So a limiting factor can be defined as something present in the environment in such short
supply that it restricts life processes
 There are three main factors which limit the rate of photosynthesis:
o Temperature
o Light intensity
o Carbon dioxide concentration
 Although water is necessary for photosynthesis, it is not considered a limiting factor as the
amount needed is relatively small compared to the amount of water transpired from a plant so
there is hardly ever a situation where there is not
enough water for photosynthesis

Temperature
 As temperature increases the rate of photosynthesis
increases as the reaction is controlled by enzymes
 However, as the reaction is controlled by enzymes,
this trend only continues up to a certain temperature
beyond which the enzymes begin to denature and the
rate of reaction decreases

Light intensity
 The more light a plant receives, the faster the rate of photosynthesis
 This trend will continue until some other factor required for photosynthesis prevents the rate
from increasing further because it is now in short supply
At low light intensities, increasing the intensity
will initially increase the rate of photosynthesis. At
a certain point, increasing the light intensity stops
increasing the rate. The rate becomes constant
regardless of how much light intensity increases as
something else is limiting the rate.

The factors which could be limiting the rate when the

line on the graph is horizontal include temperature not
being high enough or not enough carbon dioxide.

Carbon Dioxide Concentration

 Carbon dioxide is one of the raw materials required for photosynthesis
 This means the more carbon dioxide that is present, the faster the reaction can occur
 This trend will continue until some other factor
required for photosynthesis prevents the rate from
increasing further because it is now in short supply

Importance of Photosynthesis
 Source of oxygen for all living organisms (for aerobic
respiration)
 Source of food for all living organisms directly or
indirectly
 It maintains the balance of oxygen and carbon
dioxide in the environment through the carbon and
nitrogen cycles.
 It decreases the amount of carbon dioxide in the environment. Otherwise, the high concentration
of carbon dioxide in the environment will cause global warming. (average increase in the
temperature of the earth is known as global warming)
 It is a source of fossil fuels, e.g. coal, gas, oil, etc… Fossil fuels are further used in houses,
vehicles, factories, industries, trains, aeroplanes etc…
 Forests are called *lungs of nature*, which ultimately depend on photosynthesis.
 It is the only biological process that converts light energy to chemical energy in the form of
glucose.

Experiments on Photosynthesis
 All experiments carries out to investigate photosynthesis
must begin with a de-starched plant for both the test and
the control experiment. The plants are de-starched by
keeping them in dark for 48 hours. In the absence of
photosynthesis, all the starched stored in the leaves will be
converted to sugar, carried away and utilised by other parts
of the plant.
 The leaves are tested for starch at the end of the
experiment. The presence of starch in the leaves show that
photosynthesis has occurred. The procedure for the starch
test is as follows:
(a) Boil the leaf in water to kills the cells
(b) Boil it in ethanol to extract chlorophyll; ethanol dissolves lipids in cell membranes
(c.) Then soften the leaf in hot water for penetration of iodine.
(d) Treat with iodine to test for starch. Regions where starch is present turn blue-black.
 The following series of experiments can be used to investigate the conditions and factors
required to test for photosynthesis:

Experiment Method Results

To test for Regions exposed to sunlight turn
the need of dark blue with iodine. Covered
sunlight regions remain yellow.
To test for The leaf that had no carbon dioxide
the need of does not turn blue i.e. the one with
carbon soda lime as it absorbs the carbon
dioxide dioxide. The one from the polythene
bag containing carbon dioxide does
turn blue, i.e. the one containing
hydrogen carbonate solution.

To investigate The number of bubbles counted per

the effect of minute increases as distance
light intensity between the light source and the
and Is oxygen water plant is decreased.
produced ? The relighting of a glowing splint
does not prove that the gas collected
in the test-tube is pure oxygen, but
it does show that it contains extra
oxygen and this must have come
from the plant. The oxygen is given
off only in the light.

To test for Green parts of the variegated leaf

the need of turn dark blue and white parts of the
chlorophyll leaf remain yellow.

To test for As starch has not formed in the

the need of areas that received no light, it seems
light that light is needed for starch
formation and thus for
photosynthesis.
Mineral Nutrition

Minerals required by plants are absorbed from the soil in the form
of ions (salts dissolved in soil water), through the process of active
transport.
The table below are a summary of important minerals required for
the plant.

Mineral Source Functions Deficiency symptoms

Carbon Carbon dioxide Raw materials for photosynthesis Glucose and other organic
substances aren't synthesised
Nitrogen Nitrates and Formation of amino acids, proteins Stunted growth, small and pale
ammonium ions and enzymes yellow leaves (chlorotic leaves)
Phosphorus Phosphates Formation of energy storage Poor growth
chemicals: ADP and ATP. Formation
of proteins and cell membranes
Magnesium Magnesium ions Constituent of chlorophyll Overall growth reduced; leaves
are chlorotic
Iron Iron ions Act as a catalyst in the formation of Overall growth is reduced and
chlorophyll leaves are chlorotic