PHOTOSYNTHESIS

• Photosynthesis is a chemical reaction that takes place inside a plant, producing food for the
plant to survive.
• Carbon dioxide, water and light are all needed for photosynthesis to take place.
• Photosynthesis happens in the leaves of a plant.

The process of photosynthesis

Plants need food to respire, grow and reproduce. Unlike animals, plants are able to make their
own food by the process of photosynthesis.
Photosynthesis takes place in the part of the plant cell containing chloroplasts, these are small
structures that contain chlorophyll.
For photosynthesis to take place, plants need to take in carbon dioxide (from the air), water
(from the ground) and light (usually from the sun).
Here is the word equation for photosynthesis:

Here is the chemical equation for photosynthesis:

Carbon dioxide enters through the stomata on the underside of the leaf.
Water is absorbed by the root hair cells and is transported to the leaf by the xylem vessels.
Sunlight provides the energy needed for photosynthesis to take place. In this process carbon
dioxide and water are converted into oxygen (a waste product that is released back into the air)
and glucose (the source of energy for the plant).
Oxygen is released through the stomata on the underside of the leaf; glucose is transported
around the plant in the phloem vessels.

How are leaves adapted for photosynthesis?

• They are green because they contain lots of chlorophyll to absorb sunlight.
• They have a large surface area to maximise the amount of sunlight they can absorb.
• They are thin, allowing easy diffusion of gases into and out of the leaf.
• They have veins (xylem and phloem) to allow the transport of water, mineral ions and
glucose (food).
Questions?

What are the features of a leaf?

Photosynthesis is a vital process that occurs in the leaves of a plant. During photosynthesis, the
leaves use light energy to convert carbon dioxide and water into oxygen and glucose. The
glucose acts as a source of food for the plant.
Leaves have several features that play an important role in photosynthesis:
• A large surface area helps the leaf to absorb as much sunlight as possible.
• Leaves are thin, minimising the distance for carbon dioxide to travel into leaf cells.
• A midrib provides strength throughout the leaf, keeping it upright and sturdy in the wind.
• Chlorophyll is the green pigment that absorbs sunlight.
• Veins transport water and glucose around the plant.
• The petiole attaches the leaf to the plant’s stem.
• Stomata are tiny openings or pores, which allow carbon dioxide to enter and oxygen to exit
the leaf.

Why are leaves important?

Leaves provide food for plants, plants provide the food for all living organisms on Earth.
Without plants all other food chains would fail.
Knowledge of leaves is important to horticulturists. They need to know the best conditions for
different types of plants in order to grow flowers, fruit and vegetables.
Botanists also need to know about leaves to understand how plants relate to other organisms and
the biodiversity of an area
Describe how carbon dioxide enters the leaf.?
Describe the process that takes place in the leaf to produce oxygen
WHY IS CHLOROPHYLL NEEDED?

WHAT IS PHLOEM AND XYLEM?

If you are asked to identify the xylem or phloem in a diagram showing a cross section of a root,
stem or leaf just remember that xylem is always on the inside and phloem is always on the
outside.

HOW TO MEASURE PHOTOSYNTHESIS?

The Rate of Photosynthesis Using a Water Plant
• The plants usually used are Elodea or Camboba – types of
 pondweed
• As photosynthesis occurs, oxygen gas produced is released

• As the plant is in water, the oxygen released can be seen as

bubbles leaving the cut end of the pond weed

• The number of bubbles produced over a minute can be

counted to record the rate

• The more bubbles produced per minute, the faster the rate of

photosynthesis
• A more accurate version of this experiment is to collect the

oxygen released in a test tube inverted over the top of the

pondweed over a longer period of time and then measure
the volume of oxygen collected
• This practical can be used in the following ways:

Investigating the effect of changing light intensity, by moving a lamp different distances away
from the beaker containing the pondweed:
What is a Limiting Factor?
• 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 photosynthesis 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
• Astemperature 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

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

• 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 light
• The knowledge about limiting factors and how they affect the rate of photosynthesis can be
used to help control factors in glass houses to ensure maximum crop yields for farmers
• Growing crops outside does not allow farmers to control any of these factors to increase
growth of plants
• In a glass house, several conditions can be manipulated to increase the rate of
photosynthesis, including:
o artificial heating (enzymes controlling photosynthesis can work faster at slightly
higher temperatures – only used in temperate countries such as the UK)
o artificial lighting (plants can photosynthesise for longer)
o increasing carbon dioxide content of the air inside (plants can photosynthesise
quicker)
o regular watering
• When considering the use of glasshouses and manipulating conditions like this, farmers
need to balance the extra cost of providing heating, lighting and carbon dioxide against
the increased income
• In tropical countries where temperatures are much hotter, glasshouses may still be used to
control other conditions however they may need to be ventilated to release hot air and
avoid temperatures rising too high, which could cause the denaturation of the enzymes
controlling the photosynthesis reaction

WHEN DO PLANTS RESPIRE?

• Plants are respiring all the time and so plant cells are taking in oxygen and releasing
carbon dioxide as a result of aerobic respiration
• Plants also photosynthesise during daylight hours, for which they need to take in carbon
dioxide and release the oxygen made in photosynthesis
• At night, plants do not photosynthesise but they continue to respire, meaning they take in
oxygen and give out carbon dioxide

• • During the day, especially when the sun is bright, plants

are photosynthesising at a faster rate than they are
respiring, so there is a net intake of carbon dioxide and a
net output of oxygen
Give another method of measuring light intensity rather than calculating it
Explain what would happen to the levels of gas produced if the light intensity decreased to
0.0001 arbitrary units.

THE NEED FOR MINERAL IONS

• Photosynthesis produces carbohydrates, but plants contain many other types of biological
molecule; such as proteins, lipids and nucleic acid (DNA).
• As plants do not eat, they need to make these substances themselves
• Carbohydrates contain the elements carbon, hydrogen and oxygen but proteins, for
example, contain nitrogen as well (and certain amino acids contain other elements too)
• Other chemicals in plants contain different elements as well, for example chlorophyll
contains magnesium and nitrogen
• This means that without a source of these elements, plants cannot photosynthesise or grow
properly
• Plantsobtain these elements in the form of mineral ions actively absorbed from the soil
by root hair cells
• ‘Mineral’ is a term used to describe any naturally occurring inorganic substance.
Starch Production & Need for Chlorophyll
• Although plants make glucose in photosynthesis, leaves

cannot be tested for its presence as the glucose is quickly

used, converted into other substances and transported or
stored as starch.
• Starch is stored in chloroplasts where photosynthesis occurs

so testing a leaf for starch is a reliable indicator of which

parts of the leaf are photosynthesising.
Leaves can be tested for starch using the following procedure:

• A leaf is dropped in boiling water to kill and break down

the cell walls
• The leaf is left for 5-10 minutes in hot ethanol in a boiling

tube. This removes the chlorophyll so colour changes

from iodine can be seen more clearly
• The leaf is dipped in boiling water to soften it

• The leaf is spread out on a white tile and covered with iodine

solution
• In a green leaf, the entire leaf will turn blue-black as

photosynthesis is occuring in all areas of the leaf

• This method can also be used to test whether chlorophyll is

needed for photosynthesis by using a variegated leaf (one

that is partially green and partially white)
• The white areas of the leaf contain no chlorophyll and when

the leaf is tested only the areas that contain chlorophyll

stain blue-black
• The areas that had no chlorophyll remain orange-brown as

no photosynthesis is occurring here and so no starch is

stored
The Need for Light in Photosynthesis
• The same procedure as in the investigation above can be

used to investigate if light is needed for photosynthesis

• Before starting the experiment the plant needs to be

destarched by placing in a dark cupboard for 24 hours

• This ensures that any starch already present in the leaves

will be used up and will not affect the results of the

experiment
 • Following destarching, a leaf of the plant can be partially
covered with aluminium foil and the plant placed in
sunlight for a day
• The leaf can then be removed and tested for starch using

iodine
• The area of the leaf that was covered with aluminium foil

will remain orange-brown as it did not receive any

sunlight and could not photosynthesise, while the area
exposed to sunlight will turn blue black
• This proves that light is necessary for photosynthesis and the

production of starch
The Need for Carbon Dioxide in Photosynthesis
• Destarch a plant

• Tie a clear bag containing sodium hydroxide, which will

absorb carbon dioxide from the surrounding air, around

one leaf
• Tie a clear bag containing water (control experiment), which

will not absorb carbon dioxide from the surrounding air,

around another leaf
• Place the plant in bright light for several hours.

• Test both leaves for starch using iodine

• The leaf from the bag containing sodium hydroxide will

remain orange brown as it could not photosynthesise due

to lack of carbon dioxide
• The leaf from the control bag containing water should turn

blue black as it had all necessary requirements for

photosynthesis
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