Unit 6
Nutrition in Plants .
Notes
Photosynthesis
1. Plants carry out photosynthesis
Green plants produce carbohydrates from simple raw materials.
Plants need carbon dioxide, water, light and chlorophyll to produce starch, oxygen and water during photosynthesis.
During photosynthesis, chlorophyll absorbs light energy and becomes activated.
Light energy is used to split the water molecules to produce hydrogen which reduces carbon dioxide to form glucose.
Glucose, water and oxygen are formed during photosynthesis.
Photosynthesis can be represented as follows:
2. Factors that affect the rate of photosynthesis
Light intensity
The higher the light intensity, the faster the rate of photosynthesis – when other conditions are favorable.
Low concentration of carbon dioxide limits the rate of photosynthesis.
When the concentration of carbon dioxide is higher, the rate of photosynthesis increases.
Rate of photosynthesis can be increased with a higher temperature.
Concentration of carbon dioxide
Increasing the concentration of carbon dioxide present in the air (>0.1%), increases the rate of
photosynthesis.
Greater than 0.1%, carbon dioxide does not increase the rate of photosynthesis because light intensity
becomes the limiting factor.
Temperature
For temperatures below 40°C, as the temperature increases, the rate of photosynthesis increases.
At 40°C, photosynthesis begins to decrease.
As the temperature rises above 40°C, photosynthesis ceases as enzymes are denatured due to exposure to
heat
3. Importance of photosynthesis
Makes light energy from the Sun available to animals and plants as chemical energy in the form of glucose.
In the day, the leaf produces more glucose than can be removed – excess glucose will then be converted into starch
and stored in the leaf.
At night, starch stored in the leaf is converted to glucose.
Excess glucose is converted to sucrose before being transported out of the leaf for use by other parts of the plant, or
for storage in the various storage organs.
Nitrates and other mineral salts absorbed by the plant are used to form amino acids and proteins – these will either be
stored or used in making new protoplasm.
Fats can be formed from glucose and either stored, used to form protoplasm or in cellular respiration.
Hence plants provide animals with food, either directly or indirectly.
Chemical energy present in fossil fuels is released when the fuel is burnt.
Photosynthesis ensures that living things have a constant supply of oxygen.
Leaf Structure
1. Internal structure of the lamina
The leaf consists of three types of tissues:
Upper epidermis
made up of a single layer of closely-packed cells with a thick cuticle.
cuticle protects the leaf and prevents excessive evaporation of water.
transparent to allow sunlight to pass through.
Mesophyll – palisade or spongy
lies between the upper and lower epidermis.
palisade mesophyll
consists of one or two layers of closely-packed, long and cylindrical cells containing chloroplasts
spongy mesophyll
cells are irregular in shape—causing large intercellular air spaces among them to allow for rapid
diffusion of gases.
contain fewer chloroplasts.
cells are covered with a thin film of moisture so that carbon dioxide can dissolve in it.
xylem and phloem are present here.
Lower epidermis
consists of a single layer of closely-packed cells covered by an outer layer of cuticle which reduces water loss.
2. Distribution of chloroplasts in leaves to enable photosynthesis
palisade mesophyll cells contain numerous chloroplasts to allow maximum absorption of light.
chloroplasts arranged alongside the cell wall are most abundant on the side facing the sunlight.
position of the chloroplasts changes to ensure efficient absorption of sunlight.
thin leaf to allow light to reach more cells.
a large flat surface increases the exposed surface area to light.
3. Gaseous exchange in leaves
gaseous exchange takes place in the leaf through the stomata.
all stoma are capable of opening and closing where these movements are affected by the intensity of light and the rate
of evaporation of water.
stoma usually open by day and close at night.
carbon dioxide supply by diffusion is very efficient because of the large number of stomata and the large surface area
of the leaf.
once inside the leaf, carbon dioxide passes to the mesophyll cells by diffusing through the intercellular spaces.
cells of the spongy mesophyll layer are loosely arranged to facilitate the diffusion of gases.
carbon dioxide dissolves in the water surrounding the cells lining the air spaces and then diffuses through the cell walls
into the cytoplasm.
carbon dioxide is used by the chloroplasts during photosynthesis.
oxygen molecules produced will then diffuse from the mesophyll cells into the intercellular spaces and out through the
stomata.
