Plant nutrition
Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis: Photosynthesis is the process by which plants synthesize carbohydrates from
raw materials using energy from light.
Photosynthesis equation:
Word equation:
Chemical equation:
Raw materials = Carbon dioxide, water, sunlight
By-products/waste products: Glucose, oxygen
For photosynthesis to take place, light energy is needed and chlorophyll helps to trap or absorb
this light energy from the sun.
Chlorophyll is a green pigment that is found in chloroplasts.
Use of carbohydrates
Glucose is the sugar made in photosynthesis. However, once it’s made, it is too soluble to be
transported around the plant on its own. Therefore it has to be converted to more complex
carbohydrates.
Uses of glucose:
- Used for energy
- Used in respiration
- Stored as starch
- Used to make proteins and other organic substances
- Converted to cellulose to build cell walls
- Converted to sucrose for transport in the phloem
Mineral requirements
Plants have 2 important mineral requirements:
- Nitrate ions for making amino acids
- Magnesium ions for making chlorophyll
Nitrate ions
Nitrate ions are important for plants as they are used in building amino acids (which eventually
become proteins).
A nitrate ion deficiency would:
- Slow down the growth of the plant
- Cause the leaves to turn yellow
Magnesium ions
Magnesium ions are required to make chlorophyll.
A magnesium ion deficiency would:
- Cause the leaves to turn yellow between their veins, starting from the lower leaves
- Slow down the growth of the plant
Factors needed for photosynthesis
The following factors are important for photosynthesis to take place:
- Chlorophyll = Helps absorb the light required
- Light = Provides the energy to drive the reaction
- Carbon dioxide = is converted into sugars such as glucose
Investigating the rate of photosynthesis
Factors affecting the rate of photosynthesis are:
- Light intensity
- Carbon dioxide concentration
- Temperature
Gas exchange
During the day, especially when the sun is bright and the light intensity is high, plants
photosynthesise at a faster rate than they are respiring.
So overall, there is a higher intake of carbon dioxide and a higher output of oxygen
If the light is bright enough, the rate of carbon dioxide absorption becomes greater than the rate
of carbon dioxide release.
Carbon dioxide -> Oxygen (Photosynthesis)
Oxygen -> Carbon dioxide (Respiration)
Leaf structure
Leaf structure Adaptation for photosynthesis
Chloroplast Contains chlorophyll that absorbs light energy
for photosynthesis
Cuticle The cuticle is waxy but thin so it protects the
leaf from water loss without blocking sunlight
Guard cells and stomata In the lower epidermis, guard cells open and
close the stomata to control and allow carbon
dioxide to diffuse in to the leaf and oxygen to
diffuse out
Upper epidermis This is thin and transparent so it allows more
light to reach the palisade cells
Palisade mesophyll This layer is at the top of the leaf so the
chloroplasts in the cells are able to absorb
more light
Spongy mesophyll with air spaces The air spaces allow carbon dioxide to easily
diffuse through the leaf
Vascular bundle (Xylem and Phloem) Xylem vessels - bring water and minerals to
the leaf
Phloem vessels - transport sugars and amino
acids away from the leaf to the rest of the
plant.
