B4 Ecosystems Flashcards
What process do plants use to produce their own food?
Photosynthesis
What is the pigment that absorbs sunlight inside the leaf?
Chlorophyll
Which sub-cellular structures in a plant cell carry out photosynthesis?
Chloroplasts
What is the word equation for photosynthesis?
Carbon dioxide + water → oxygen + glucose
What gas is produced during photosynthesis?
Oxygen
What are the two reactants involved in photosynthesis?
Carbon dioxide and water
What are the two products involved in photosynthesis?
Oxygen and glucose
Give three uses for glucose in a plant.
Respiration, making cell walls and converting to starch for storage
What substance is used to test for the presence of starch?
Iodine
Name three adaptations of a leaf.
Large surface area, thin and contains chlorophyll
Explain why leaves have large surface areas.
To absorb more sunlight
Explain why leaves are thin.
To give a short diffusion pathway
Explain why leaves have chlorophyll.
To absorb sunlight for photosynthesis
Name the five layers of a leaf.
Waxy cuticle, upper epidermis, palisade mesophyll, spongy mesophyll and lower epidermis
What are stomata?
Small gaps on the bottom of leaves
In which layer of a leaf are the stomata found?
Lower epidermis
What is the function of the stomata?
Allow oxygen to leave and carbon dioxide to enter the leaf
What are the guard cells?
Curved cells found on the bottom of leaves
What is the function of the guard cells?
To open and close the stomata
What is the waxy cuticle?
A thin layer found on the top surface of the leaf
What is the function of the waxy cuticle?
To stop water loss from the leaves
Name an adaptation of the palisade mesophyll cells.
Contain lots of chloroplasts
Explain why palisade mesophyll cells have lots of chloroplasts.
To absorb more sunlight for photosynthesis
What is the purpose of the air spaces in leaves?
To allow gases to diffuse in and out of the leaf
What is a feeding relationship?
Which organisms eat each other