6.

Plant Nutrition, Cambridge, Biology (5090) (New Syllabus)

Page 1 of 12
Saiful Islam (Rony), Senior Biology Teacher, Mastermind
6. Plant Nutrition, Cambridge, Biology (5090) (New Syllabus)

Food
Food is a collection of chemicals taken by an organism for the purpose of the growth, repair, and maintenance of all the life
processes. The process by which organisms obtain and utilize food is called nutrition and the chemical constituents present
in the food are called nutrients.

Types of Nutrition
In general there are two types of nutrition:
i. Autotrophic: In autotrophic nutrition, an organism builds up the organic molecule that it requires from simple
inorganic molecules, such as carbon dioxide and water. Example: Plants
ii. Heterotrophic: In heterotrophic nutrition, an organism obtains its nutrition by feeding on other organisms. Example:
Animals

Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is the process whereby light energy is absorbed by chlorophyll and transformed into chemical energy used
in the synthesis of carbohydrates from water and carbon dioxide. Oxygen is liberated during the process.
Photosynthesis occurs in two stages, namely the light-dependent stage and the light-independent or dark stage.
 In the light stage, light energy is absorbed by the chlorophyll and then converted into chemical energy. Light energy
is also required to split the water molecules into oxygen and hydrogen, (Photolysis of water).
 The hydrogen produced is then used to reduce carbon dioxide to carbohydrate (glucose). The chemical energy
required for this process to occur comes from the light stage. Since the formation of glucose from carbon dioxide
does not directly require light, it is called the light-independent stage. Enzymes play a part in the dark stage.
 Glucose is a simple sugar and is soluble. Glucose is usually converted to the insoluble carbohydrate, Starch. (As
glucose increases the concentration of the cytoplasm in the cell, it slows down the rate at which enzymes work.)
 Starch is first stored in the Chloroplasts within the photosynthesizing cells.
 It is then converted to sucrose to be carried to the storage organs of a plant. Sucrose is then converted back to
starch once they reach the designated organs.
 Once consumed by other organisms these stored starch molecules are broken down to glucose molecules. These
glucose molecules are later broken down during respiration, the energy is then released and used for various
activities within the organism.

Page 2 of 12
Saiful Islam (Rony), Senior Biology Teacher, Mastermind
6. Plant Nutrition, Cambridge, Biology (5090) (New Syllabus)

All the oxygen evolved in photosynthesis comes from water. To form 1 glucose molecule, 12 molecules of water are split to
yield 6 molecules of oxygen and 24 atoms of hydrogen. The hydrogen is used to reduce 6 molecules of carbon dioxide to
form one molecule of glucose and 6 molecules of water.

Raw materials of Photosynthesis

 Carbon dioxide: Enters into the leaves from the atmosphere through stomata by diffusion.
 Water: Enters into the root through root hair cell from soil by osmosis. Then it goes to the leaves through xylem
vessels.
 Sunlight: Trapped by chlorophyll present in the chloroplast.

Fates of Glucose
The glucose manufactured during photosynthesis may be put to a number of uses to a number of uses in a cell:
 Energy release during respiration.
 Conversion to starch (and to glycogen in fungi and animals) and used as an energy store.
 Conversion into cellulose to make cell walls.
 With the addition of mineral ions (always nitrates but often also sulfates, phosphates and iron), conversion into
proteins.
 Conversion into fats.

Importance of Photosynthesis
 Almost all forms of life rely on the chemical energy found in carbohydrate. Plants may convert this carbohydrate into
protein and fat before it is passed on.
 The oxygen produced by photosynthesis is essential for the respiration of most life forms.
 Sunlight is the ultimate source of energy for living things. It is during photosynthesis that radiant energy is converted
to chemical energy.
 Photosynthesis also uses up the carbon dioxide released by respiration, converting it into carbohydrate. Hence,
photosynthesis also purifies air in a sense that it removes carbon dioxide from the air.
 Coal is fossil fuel which is formed from trees and it contains a store of energy derived from sunlight through
photosynthesis. When coal is burnt, the energy is set free, which can be used for many purposes like cooking, driving
machines and etc.

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Saiful Islam (Rony), Senior Biology Teacher, Mastermind
6. Plant Nutrition, Cambridge, Biology (5090) (New Syllabus)

Structure of leaf

External structure of leaf

i. Petiole: The petiole is thin stalk that holds the lamina away from the stem so that the lamina can obtain sufficient
sunlight and air.
ii. Lamina: It is also known as leaf blade. It provides broad green surface area for light absorption.
iii. Midrib: It is also known as main vein of the leaf. It is the large central thick vein of the leaf that runs through the
leaf blade.
iv. Veins: Leaf veins branches from the midrib and contains vascular tissues of the leaf. It provides support to the leaf
and also transports water and minerals to the leaf. It also carries away manufactured food from the leaf.

Page 4 of 12
Saiful Islam (Rony), Senior Biology Teacher, Mastermind
6. Plant Nutrition, Cambridge, Biology (5090) (New Syllabus)

Internal structure of leaf

i. Cuticle: A waxy non-cellular covering to protect the leaf. It is waterproof preventing water loss from the plant. It is
transparent to allow light to enter the leaf.
ii. Upper epidermis: A single layer of cells that secretes the cuticle. It contains no chloroplast, so allowing light to reach
the cells beneath.
iii. Chloroplasts: This is the place where photosynthesis takes place inside cells. It contains chlorophyll which traps
sunlight for photosynthesis. Usually converts excess glucose to starch and store it temporarily.
iv. Mesophyll cells:
There are two types of Mesophyll cells:
a) Palisade mesophyll cells: Usually one layer of closely packed, long cells. These are the first cells to receive
sunlight. They contains the largest number of chloroplasts. These are the most active cells in
photosynthesis. Its walls are coated with a thin film of water to allow rapid gaseous exchange.
b) Spongy mesophyll cells: They also carry out some photosynthesis. They are loosely packed with many
intracellular spaces between them allowing gases to freely diffuse throughout the leaf. They contains fewer
chloroplasts than palisade cells. The walls are coated with a thin film of water to allow rapid gaseous
exchange.
v. Vascular bundle:
Vascular bundle consists of two tissues:
a) Xylem tissue: Transports water and ions to the leaf. Strengthens the leaf, helps to resist tearing.
b) Phloem tissue: Transports dissolved sugars (Sucrose) mostly away from the leaf. Transports amino acids
to and from the leaf.
vi. Guard cells: These are specialized epidermal cells controlling the opening and closing of stomata. They occur is pairs.
They controls the stoma as result of their degree of turgidity. Guard cells contain chloroplasts causing photosynthesis
to occur.

Adaptations of leaf for efficient photosynthesis

i. Leaves are broad and thin which increases surface area for sunlight absorption and gas diffusion.
ii. Most of the chloroplasts are found in the palisade layer as they are near the top of the leaf where they can get
the most light.
iii. The upper epidermis is transparent so that light can pass through it to the palisade layer.
iv. Leaves have a network of vascular bundles (Xylem and Phloem). They deliver water and minerals to every part of
the leaf and take away the glucose produced by photosynthesis.
v. The waxy cuticle helps reduce water loss by evaporation.
vi. There are air spaces inside the leaf, which lets gases like carbon dioxide and oxygen move easily between cells. It
also increases surface area for gas exchange.
vii. The lower surface of the leaf is full of little holes called stomata. They are there to let gases like CO2 and O2 diffuse
in and out. They also allow water to escape which is known as transpiration.

Page 5 of 12
Saiful Islam (Rony), Senior Biology Teacher, Mastermind
6. Plant Nutrition, Cambridge, Biology (5090) (New Syllabus)

How leaf is involved in the process of photosynthesis

i. Carbon dioxide diffuses down a concentration gradient from the atmosphere, through the stomata, into the leaf.
ii. Carbon dioxide diffuses freely throughout the leaf in the intracellular spaces.
iii. Carbon dioxide dissolves in the film of water which surrounds the mesophyll cells. The water is delivered to the leaf
in the xylem of the vascular bundles.

Opening and Closing of Stomata

In sunlight the concentration of potassium ions (K+)
increases in the guard cells. This, together with the
sugars formed, lowers the water potential in the
guard cells. As a result, water from other cells
enters the guard cells by osmosis so they swell and
become turgid. Because the guard cells have a
thicker cellulose wall on one side of the cell, i.e. the
side around the stomatal pore, the swollen guard
cells become more curved and pull the stoma open.

At night, the sugar is used up and water leaves the guard cells, so they become flaccid and the stomatal pore closes. In this
way, they reduce the amount of water vapor escaping from the leaf.

Difference between epidermal cells and guard cells:

I. The guard cells are bean-shaped in surface view, while the epidermal cells are irregular in shape.
II. The guard cells contain chloroplasts, so they can manufacture food by photosynthesis. (The epidermal cells do not
contain chloroplasts.)

Intake of Carbon dioxide

Carbon dioxide enters through stomata into the intracellular or air spaces of leaf by diffusion and dissolves in water droplets.
Then it enters palisade and spongy mesophyll cells. Mesophyll cells contain chloroplasts, where water reacts with carbon
dioxide in the presence of light which is absorbed by chlorophyll pigment.

Intake of Water
From the soil to the root hair cell: Usually there is more concentration of water in the soil than that of the root hair cell,
hence water enters in root hair cells through osmosis.

From the root hair cells to the xylem of the roots: There are three routes for transporting water from the root hair cells
to the root xylem.

b) Symplastic pathway: Movement of water molecules from the cytoplasm of one cell to the cytoplasm of adjacent cell
through plasmodesmata by osmosis.

Page 6 of 12
Saiful Islam (Rony), Senior Biology Teacher, Mastermind
6. Plant Nutrition, Cambridge, Biology (5090) (New Syllabus)

b) Apoplastic pathway: Movement of water

molecules from the cell wall of one cell
to the cell wall of adjacent cell by
osmosis.
c) Vacuolar pathway: Movement of water
molecules from the vacuole of one cell to
the vacuole of adjacent cell through
cytoplasm and plasmodesmata by
osmosis.

From root xylem to leaves: There are four mechanism by which water is transported from the xylem of the roots to the
leaves.

a) Adhesion: It is attraction between two unlike molecules. There is a strong attractive force between xylem and water
which causes water molecules to stick to the xylem vessel to move upwards.
b) Cohesion: It is the attraction between two like molecules. There is an attractive force among water molecules which
causes them to stick together.
c) Root pressure: It is the positive pressure of different branched roots upon water to go upwards.
d) Transpiration pull: Excess water constantly gets out of the plant to the atmosphere through stomata in a process
called transpiration. As a result there is a pressure difference between the atmosphere and the inside of the leaves.
There is a pumping effect upon the water of the leaves to get through stomata. This pulling effect keeps the water
in a continuous flow from the roots to the leaves.

Factors affecting the rate of photosynthesis

Temperature: With the increase of temperature, the
rate of photosynthesis increases but up to a certain
temperature of around 40℃, beyond that temperature
the rate starts to slow down. And above 50℃ the
photosynthesis stops, as the enzymes get denatured

Light Intensity: With the increase of light intensity the rate of

photosynthesis increase up to a certain point, beyond which the
rate becomes constant, as other factors acts as a limiting factor.

Page 7 of 12
Saiful Islam (Rony), Senior Biology Teacher, Mastermind
6. Plant Nutrition, Cambridge, Biology (5090) (New Syllabus)

Carbon dioxide: With the increase of Carbon dioxide, the rate of

photosynthesis increases up to a certain level. After that level the rate
of photosynthesis becomes constant, although the carbon dioxide level
continues to increase. as other factors acts as a limiting factor.

Summary of the factors affecting rate of photosynthesis

A limiting factor is simply anything in short

supply that prevents photosynthesis occurring
at its maximum rate.

This diagram shows a set of apparatus you can use to investigate the rate of photosynthesis.

Procedure
SAFETY: Wash your hands thoroughly if you handle the pond plants. If you have any cuts on your skin, ask your teacher if you
should wear a sticking plaster or gloves.
a Set up the apparatus and look for a stream of bubbles coming from the cut end of the pond weed.
b Count the number of bubbles produced in 1 minute. Repeat for a second minute. Repeat for a third minute.
c Change a factor that might affect the rate of photosynthesis.
d Leave for 2 minutes, then count the number of bubbles produced in one minute. Repeat for a second minute. Repeat for
a third minute.
e Change the factor to another value and repeat instruction d.
Assumption: We assume the gas is oxygen and all the bubbles are of same size.

Page 8 of 12
Saiful Islam (Rony), Senior Biology Teacher, Mastermind
6. Plant Nutrition, Cambridge, Biology (5090) (New Syllabus)

Experiment to prove that Chlorophyll is needed in Photosynthesis

Step-1: A potted plant with at least one variegated leaf.

Step-2: The plant has been destarched by keeping it in a dark room for
consecutive 48hrs approximately.
Step-3: The potted plant has been placed in the light for around 6 to
8hrs.
Step-4: Starch test has been done.

Result: The green zone of the leaf turns blue-black and the white zone turns brown.
Interpretation: The green zone had chlorophyll, where photosynthesis occurred. Starch was made which reacted with iodine
producing blue-black color.
The white zone had no chlorophyll, where no photosynthesis occurred. No starch was produced and hence no blue-black
coloration occurred. It turned brown due to the color of iodine.

Variegated leaves usually have one color

on the inner part of the foliage and a
second color along the edge or "margin."

Experiment to prove that Light is needed for Photosynthesis

Step-1: A potted plant with at least two leaves has

been taken
Step-2: The plant has been destarched by keeping it
in a dark room for consecutive 48hrs approximately.
Step-3: Part of one leaf is covered with a black paper
strip and labelled that as B. Another leaf has been kept
open which is labelled as A.
Step-4: The potted plant has been placed in the light
for around 6 to 8hrs.
Step-5: Starch test has been done.

Page 9 of 12
Saiful Islam (Rony), Senior Biology Teacher, Mastermind
6. Plant Nutrition, Cambridge, Biology (5090) (New Syllabus)

Result: Leaf A turns blue/black and leaf B turns brown due to the color of iodine.
Interpretation: Leaf A got sunlight and did photosynthesis, made starch which combined with iodine to give a blue-black
starch-iodine complex.
Leaf B didn’t get sunlight, so couldn’t carry out photosynthesis hence no starch was made so iodine-starch complex produced.
The leaf turned brown by absorbing iodine.
Conclusion: Light is needed for photosynthesis.

Experiment to prove that Carbon dioxide is needed for Photosynthesis

Step-1: A potted plant with at least two leaves has been taken
Step-2: The plant has been destarched by keeping it in a dark room for consecutive 48hrs approximately.

Step-3: Both the plants were covered with bell jars and labelled
them as A and B.
Inside Set-up A, NaHCO3 (sodium bicarbonate) is kept. It
produces CO2.
Inside Set-up B, NaOH (Sodium hydroxide) is kept. It absorbs CO2.
Step-4: The potted plant has been placed in the light for around
6 to 8hrs.
Step-5: Starch test has been done.
Result: Leaf in Set-A turns blue-black, whereas leaf in
Set-B turns brown due to the color of iodine.
Interpretation; Leaf A got CO2 and did photosynthesis, made starch which combined with iodine to give a blue-black starch-
iodine complex.
Leaf B didn’t get CO2, so couldn’t carry out photosynthesis hence no starch was made so iodine-starch complex produced.
The leaf turned brown by absorbing iodine.
Conclusion: CO2 is needed for photosynthesis.

Page 10 of 12
Saiful Islam (Rony), Senior Biology Teacher, Mastermind
6. Plant Nutrition, Cambridge, Biology (5090) (New Syllabus)

Experiment to prove that Oxygen is produced during Photosynthesis

Step-1: Some aquatic plants like Canadian pond weed
were taken and cut into pieces.
Step-2: Cut pieces of plants were taken in a beaker
containing water.
Step-3: A funnel has been placed over the plant.
Step-4: An inverted test-tube has been placed over
the funnel.
Step-5: The set-up has been placed in the light for
around 6 to 8hrs.

Observation: Air bubbles were seen coming out of the cut end of the plants and accumulating to the test-tube.
Confirmation of Oxygen: The test-tube has been removed carefully from the water ensuring that the gas is trapped inside
the test-tube. Then a glowing splint was placed into the test-tube. If the glowing splint relights it indicates the presence of
O2.

Minerals needed for Plant growth

1. Magnesium (Mg):
2. Nitrogen (N):
3. Phosphorus (P):
It is needed for making chlorophyll in plants.
Deficiency: The leaf will turn yellow (Chlorosis).
It is needed for making amino acids and amino acids are needed for making proteins,
hormones and enzymes, for making leaf.
Deficiency: Stunted growth.
It is needed for making healthy roots, DNA and ATP.
Deficiency: Poor root growth.

The dangers of overuse of artificial fertilizers

Although better crops are produced by using artificial fertilizers, there is a danger that the readily soluble nitrates will be
washed into streams, rivers and lakes. This can cause:
I. An abundant growth of water plants (Eutrophication)
II. When these plants eventually die, they are decayed by bacteria which use up the oxygen in the water resulting in
the death of the water animals such as fish.
III. If this water is used as drinking water by humans, the high levels of nitrate may lead to cancer of the stomach.

Page 11 of 12
Saiful Islam (Rony), Senior Biology Teacher, Mastermind
6. Plant Nutrition, Cambridge, Biology (5090) (New Syllabus)

Experiment to prove that minerals are necessary in plant.

A B C D E

Step-1: Five test-tubes were arranged as shown in the diagram.

Step-2: Five saplings of same age, same species, same number of leaves and same height were taken.
Step-3: One sapling in each test-tube were placed.
Step-4: The experimental setup were kept in light and same conditions for at least one month.
Step-5: The growth pattern were observed after every week.

Results:
A: No growth, leaves will die (lack of all nutrients)
B: Poor growth, leaves turns yellow slightly
C: Poor growth and yellowish leaves.
D: Very minimizing growth because most of the roots will die.
E: Healthy growth with more number of leaves with deep green appearance.

Conclusion: Minerals are needed for healthy growth of plants.

Page 12 of 12
Saiful Islam (Rony), Senior Biology Teacher, Mastermind