Photosynthesis Flashcards
What is the equation for photosynthesis? (not word)
6CO2 + 6H20 -> C6H1206 + 6O2
What type of reaction is photosynthesis?
Endothermic and enzyme-controlled
Why are plants called producers?
Because they produce their own food and therefore biomass
What is biomass?
The mass of living material at a particular stage in a food chain
What is light energy transferred into?
Into chemical energy stored in the sugars produced
What is chlorophyll?
The green pigment found inside the chloroplasts of leaves which absorbs sunlight
What colour does hydrogen carbonate indicator turn when in low levels of CO2?
Purple
What colour does hydrogen carbonate indicator turn when in high levels of CO2?
Yellow
What colour does hydrogen carbonate indicator turn when in the same levels of CO2 in normal air (0.035%)?
Orange-red
What relationship is between light intensity and distance from a lamp?
Inverse square relationship
What are some limiting factors?
- Concentration of CO2
- Access to water
- Wavelength of light
- Light intensity
- Temperature
- Chlorophylic content
Why is temperature a limiting factor?
Because it increases the kinetic energy of molecules and increases the rate of enzyme activity, making the process faster
What happens if the temperature is too high?
Enzymes start to denature and therefore the rate of photosynthesis slows down
Why is photosynthesis an endothermic reaction?
Because the products of the reaction have more energy than the reactants
What is sucrose used to make in plants?
Starch, cellulose and glucose for respiration
What does a high concentration of palisade cells and a large surface area for leaves mean for plants?
They allow a leaf to absorb a great deal of light for photosynthesis
What are stomata?
Microscopic pores in leaves that are opened and closed by specialised guard cells
Describe how guard cells open and close the stoma
- In the light, water flows into the guard cells making them rigid, which opens the stoma
- At night in the dark, water flows out of the guard cells where they lose their rigidity and shut
What do stomata allow for oxygen?
For it to be released into the air as well as water vapour
What does the algal ball experiment test for?
By placing the algal balls in hydrogen carbonate indicator, levels of CO2 are identified (yellow=high, purple=low). The algal balls are placed at different distances from a lamp, and CO2 is produced due to photosynthesis (the closer the bottle to the lamp, the greater the concentration of carbon dioxide)
What is the control variable in the algal balls experiment?
The volume of indicator solution and number of algal balls in each bottle
What is the dependent variable in the algal balls experiment?
The colour of the solution of the pH range bottles
What is the independent variable in the algal balls experiment?
The distance of each bottle from the lamp
What experiment can help show the effect of light on the rate of photosynthesis?
- Algal balls experiment
- Measuring the rate at which oxygen is given off by a piece of pondweed
What can greenhouse farmers use so that photosynthesis can continue beyond daylight hours or in higher-than-normal light intensity?
Artificial light
Why do leaves have a large surface area?
For the absorption of sunlight for photosynthesis and for gas exchange through the stomata
What is the inverse square law for light intensity?
Light intensity ∝ 1/d^2
What is a photochemical reaction?
A chemical reaction caused by the absorption of light
What are substomatal air spaces?
Large internal spaces inside leaves which increase the SA for the diffusion of gases
How are epidermis cells adapted?
They are transparent to let light pass through to the photosynthetic cells
How is a waxy cuticle an adaptation for a leaf?
It is transparent to let light through
How are mesophyll cells adapted?
They are packed with chloroplasts for maximum photosynthesis
How are xylem vessels adapted?
They carry water and mineral ions up the plant for photosynthesis
How are palisade mesophyll cells adapted?
They are packed with chloroplasts near the upper surface of the leaf for maximum reach of sunlight for photosynthesis
How are stomata adapted?
They are pores that allow CO2 from the air into the leaf and allow oxygen from photosynthesis to leave the leaf
Describe the arrangement of stoma thickness
- The cell wall of the guard cell is thicker on the side which borders the stoma
- As water is taken into the guard cell they become more turgid and (because of the uneven distribution of cellulose) they become more curved and the stomatal pore between them open
What do the veins do in leaves?
They carry water to the cells and carry glucose away; they also support leaves
Where are stomata mainly found?
In the lower surface of the leaf
How do guard cells take in water?
By osmosis
What are adaptations to dry conditions that marram grass have?
- Stomata sunk in pits to reduce water loss
- Waxy cuticle to reduce water loss
- Leaf hairs to trap moist air round stomata
- Rolled leaves to reduce air movement around stomata
What are adaptations that plants have to tropical conditions?
They adapt for low light intensity and wet conditions:
- Large leaves that absorb as much light as possible
- Stems that climb up the trees to obtain more light, with the plant’s roots still in the ground
- Leaves with ‘drip tips’ so water runs off them
- Cuticle of leaves have water repelling properties so that they are ‘self-cleaning-
What are adaptations plants have to waterlogged soil?
Waterlogged soils have no air spaces so the root cells have difficulty obtaining enough oxygen for respiration:
- Spongy tissue in their roots that stores oxygen
- Fine surface roots that take in oxygen at the water surface
What are pneumatophores?
They are specialised root structures that grow out from the water surface and facilitate the aeration necessary for root respiration trees (like the mangrove)
What is a stimulus?
A change in the environment that causes a response by an organism
What is a tropism?
Responding to a stimulus by growing towards or away from it