Respiration and photosynthesis in organisms Flashcards
Plants are
autotrophs
Autotrophs definition
This means they can make their own food using light, water and carbon dioxide
Photosynthesis is an
endothermic reaction
What happens during photosynthesis?
Energy is transferred from the environment to the chloroplasts by light
Where does the most photosynthesis happen?
In the leaves of the plant, in specialised mesophyll cells which are packed with chloroplasts containing chlorophyll to absorb as much light energy as possible.
How are the reactants for photosynthesis obtained by a plant?
- carbon dioxide: diffuses into the leaf through the stomata
- water: taken up by the roots and transported through the xylem to the leaves.
products of photosynthesis
Glucose- it is used to make substances needed by the plant. It is used in respiration to release energy.
oxygen- diffuses out of the leaf through the stomata. It is used in respiration.
What does a plant need in order to photosynthesise?
light, water and carbon dioxide
The availability of light and carbon dioxide
can affect how much and how quickly (the rate) photosynthesis occurs
Why is water not considered a limiting factor?
-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
What can affect the rate of photosynthesis?
- temperature
- the amount of chlorophyll in the chloroplasts
- light
- carbon dioxide
Temperature
-The temperature of the environment affects how much kinetic energy all particles have – so temperature affects the speed at which carbon dioxide and water move through a plant
-The lower the temperature, the less kinetic energy particles have, resulting in fewer successful collisions occurring over a period of time
I-ncreasing temperature increases the kinetic energy of particles, increasing the likelihood of collisions between reactants and enzymes which results in the formation of products
-At higher temperatures, however, enzymes that control the processes of photosynthesis can be denatured (where the active site changes shape and is no longer complementary to its substrate) – this reduces the overall rate
Light
- The intensity of the light available to the plant will depend on the amount of energy that it has to carry out photosynthesis
- 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
Chlorophyll
- The number of chloroplasts (as they contain the pigment chlorophyll which absorbs light energy for photosynthesis) will affect the rate of photosynthesis
- The more chloroplasts a plant has, the faster the rate of photosynthesis
- The amount of chlorophyll can be affected by:
- diseases (such as tobacco mosaic virus)
- lack of nutrients (such as magnesium)
- loss of leaves (fewer leaves means fewer chloroplasts)
light intensity
1/ distance