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Plant Nutrition Flashcards

1
Q

What do green plants make during photosynthesis?

A

Green plants make the carbohydrate glucose from the raw materials carbon dioxide and water.

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2
Q

What is released as a waste product during photosynthesis?

A

Oxygen is made and released as a waste product.

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3
Q

What energy source is required for photosynthesis?

A

The reaction requires energy which is obtained by the pigment chlorophyll trapping light from the Sun.

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4
Q

How can photosynthesis be defined?

A

Photosynthesis can be defined as the process by which plants manufacture carbohydrates from raw materials using energy from light.

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5
Q

What is the equation that sums up photosynthesis?

A

It can be summed up in the following equation:

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6
Q

Photosynthesis Equation

A
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7
Q

What is chlorophyll?

A

Chlorophyll is a green pigment found in chloroplasts within plant cells.

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8
Q

What light does chlorophyll reflect?

A

Chlorophyll reflects green light, giving plants their characteristic green colour.

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9
Q

What is the role of chlorophyll?

A

Chlorophyll absorbs light energy and transfers it into chemical energy for the synthesis of carbohydrates, such as glucose.

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10
Q

How are carbohydrates produced by photosynthesis used?

A

Carbohydrates can be converted into starch for energy storage, cellulose for cell walls, used in respiration for energy, converted to sucrose for transport, or used as nectar to attract insects.

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11
Q

What can plants convert carbohydrates into besides energy?

A

Plants can convert carbohydrates into lipids for seeds and amino acids when combined with nitrogen and other mineral ions.

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12
Q

What types of biological molecules do plants contain?

A

Plants contain carbohydrates, proteins, lipids, and nucleic acids (DNA).

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13
Q

Why do plants need to make their own substances?

A

Plants do not eat; they need to synthesize substances like proteins and lipids themselves.

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14
Q

What elements do carbohydrates contain?

A

Carbohydrates contain carbon, hydrogen, and oxygen.

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15
Q

What additional element do proteins contain?

A

Proteins contain nitrogen, and certain amino acids may contain other elements.

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16
Q

What elements does chlorophyll contain?

A

Chlorophyll contains magnesium and nitrogen.

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17
Q

How do plants obtain necessary elements for growth?

A

Plants obtain these elements in the form of mineral ions actively absorbed from the soil by root hair cells.

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18
Q

What is a mineral?

A

A mineral is any naturally occurring inorganic substance.

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19
Q

What is the function of magnesium in plants?

A

Magnesium is needed to make chlorophyll.

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20
Q

What do nitrates provide for plants?

A

Nitrates are a source of nitrogen needed to make amino acids for building proteins.

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21
Q

What deficiency causes chlorosis in plants?

A

Magnesium deficiency causes yellowing between the veins of leaves (chlorosis).

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22
Q

What deficiency causes stunted growth and yellowing of leaves?

A

Nitrate deficiency causes stunted growth and yellowing of leaves.

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23
Q

Why can’t leaves be tested for glucose directly?

A

Leaves cannot be tested for glucose because it is quickly used, converted into other substances, and stored as starch.

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24
Q

What is a reliable indicator of photosynthesis in leaves?

A

Testing a leaf for starch is a reliable indicator of which parts of the leaf are photosynthesising.

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25
What is the first step in testing a leaf for starch?
Drop a leaf in boiling water to kill the cells and break down the cell membranes.
26
What is the purpose of soaking the leaf in hot ethanol?
Soaking the leaf in hot ethanol removes chlorophyll, allowing color changes from iodine to be seen more clearly.
27
What happens after the leaf is dipped in boiling water?
The leaf is softened.
28
What color indicates photosynthesis in a green leaf when tested with iodine?
The entire leaf will turn blue-black as photosynthesis is occurring in all areas.
29
How can you test if chlorophyll is needed for photosynthesis?
Use a variegated leaf; only the green areas with chlorophyll will stain blue-black.
30
What color will the white areas of a variegated leaf turn when tested for starch?
The white areas will remain orange-brown as no photosynthesis occurs there.
31
What safety precaution should be taken when using ethanol in this experiment?
Turn off the Bunsen burner as ethanol is extremely flammable.
32
What is the safest way to heat ethanol during the experiment?
Use an electric water bath instead of a beaker over a Bunsen burner.
33
How can you investigate if light is needed for photosynthesis?
Destarch a plant by placing it in a dark cupboard for 24 hours, then partially cover a leaf with aluminium foil and expose it to sunlight.
34
What will happen to the area of the leaf covered with aluminium foil?
It will remain orange-brown as it did not receive sunlight and could not photosynthesise.
35
What proves that light is necessary for photosynthesis?
The area exposed to sunlight will turn blue-black, indicating starch production.
36
How can you investigate the need for carbon dioxide in photosynthesis?
Destarch two plants, place one near sodium hydroxide to absorb CO2, and the other near water as a control.
37
What will happen to the leaf from the plant placed near sodium hydroxide?
It will remain orange-brown as it could not photosynthesise due to lack of carbon dioxide.
38
What will happen to the leaf from the plant placed near water?
It should turn blue-black as it had all necessary requirements for photosynthesis.
39
Chlorophyll
40
Temperature in plants
41
Light in plants
42
What types of plants are usually used in photosynthesis experiments?
Elodea or Cabomba - types of pondweed
43
What is produced during photosynthesis that can be observed in the experiment?
Oxygen gas is produced and released as bubbles.
44
How is the rate of photosynthesis measured in this experiment?
By counting the number of bubbles produced over a minute.
45
What does a higher number of bubbles indicate?
A faster rate of photosynthesis.
46
What is a more accurate method to measure oxygen production?
Collecting the oxygen in a test tube inverted over the pondweed and measuring the volume collected.
47
How can you investigate the effect of changing light intensity?
By moving a lamp different distances away from the beaker containing the pondweed.
48
How can you investigate the effect of changing temperature?
By changing the temperature of the water in the beaker.
49
How can you investigate the effect of changing carbon dioxide concentration?
By dissolving different amounts of sodium hydrogen carbonate in the water in the beaker.
50
Changing light intensity
51
Changing temperature
52
Changing carbon dioxide
53
What do plants do all the time?
Plants are respiring all the time, taking in oxygen and releasing carbon dioxide as a result of aerobic respiration.
54
What process do plants perform during daylight hours?
Plants photosynthesise during daylight hours, taking in carbon dioxide and releasing oxygen.
55
What happens to plants at night?
At night, plants do not photosynthesise but continue to respire, taking in oxygen and giving out carbon dioxide.
56
What is the net gas exchange during the day?
During the day, especially when the sun is bright, plants photosynthesise at a faster rate than they respire, resulting in a net intake of carbon dioxide and a net output of oxygen.
57
How can we investigate the effect of light on gas exchange in aquatic plants?
We can use a pH indicator such as hydrogencarbonate indicator to investigate the effect of light on net gas exchange.
58
Why is hydrogencarbonate indicator used?
Hydrogencarbonate indicator shows the carbon dioxide concentration in solution because carbon dioxide is an acidic gas when dissolved in water.
59
What is the procedure for investigating gas exchange?
Several leaves from the same plant are placed in stoppered boiling tubes containing hydrogencarbonate indicator to investigate the effect of light over a few hours.
60
CO2 in plants
61
Colour of leafs
62
What is a limiting factor in photosynthesis?
A limiting factor is something present in the environment in such short supply that it restricts life processes.
63
What are the three main factors that limit the rate of photosynthesis?
The three main factors are temperature, light intensity, and carbon dioxide concentration.
64
Why is water not considered a limiting factor for photosynthesis?
Water is not considered a limiting factor because the amount needed is relatively small compared to the amount transpired from a plant.
65
How does temperature affect the rate of photosynthesis?
As temperature increases, the rate of photosynthesis increases until enzymes begin to denature at high temperatures, causing the rate to decrease.
66
What effect does light intensity have on photosynthesis?
The more light a plant receives, the faster the rate of photosynthesis, until another factor becomes limiting.
67
What happens to the rate of photosynthesis at low light intensities?
At low light intensities, increasing the intensity will initially increase the rate of photosynthesis until another factor limits it.
68
How does carbon dioxide concentration affect photosynthesis?
The more carbon dioxide present, the faster the reaction can occur, until another factor becomes limiting.
69
Balanced photosynthesis equation
70
What is the wax cuticle?
A protective layer on top of the leaf that prevents water from evaporating.
71
What is the upper epidermis?
A thin and transparent layer that allows light to enter the leaf.
72
What is the palisade mesophyll?
A layer underneath the upper epidermis made of column-shaped cells tightly packed with chloroplasts to absorb more light, maximizing photosynthesis.
73
What is the spongy mesophyll?
Contains internal air spaces that increase the surface area to volume ratio for the diffusion of gases, mainly carbon dioxide.
74
What is the lower epidermis?
Contains guard cells and stomata that absorb and lose water to regulate gas exchange.
75
What are guard cells?
Cells that open and close the stomata to allow carbon dioxide to diffuse in and oxygen to diffuse out.
76
What are stomata?
Small openings where gas exchange takes place; they open during the day and close at night.
77
What is a vascular bundle?
Contains xylem and phloem to transport substances to and from the leaf.
78
What is xylem?
Transports water into the leaf for mesophyll cells to use in photosynthesis and for transpiration from stomata.
79
What is phloem?
Transports sucrose and amino acids around the plant.
80
What is a feature of leaves?
Large surface area for the diffusion of carbon dioxide and absorption of light for photosynthesis.
81
What is the significance of thinness in leaf structure?
Allows carbon dioxide to diffuse to palisade mesophyll cells quickly.
82
What role does chlorophyll play in leaves?
Absorbs light energy so that photosynthesis can take place.
83
What is the function of the network of veins in leaves?
Allows the transport of water to the cells of the leaf and carbohydrates from the leaf for photosynthesis.
84
What is the function of stomata in leaves?
Allows carbon dioxide to diffuse into the leaf and oxygen to diffuse out.
85
How does the structure of the epidermis benefit the leaf?
Protects the leaf without blocking sunlight.
86
What is the advantage of having air spaces in the spongy mesophyll?
Allows carbon dioxide to diffuse through the leaf, increasing the surface area.
87
What is the role of thick cell walls in vascular bundles?
Help to support the stem and leaf.
88
Structure of a leaf
89
Cross section of a leaf

Biology (9 decks)

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