SB6 - Plant Structures and their Functions ✓ Flashcards
SB6a - What is the equation for photosynthesis?
Carbon dioxide + Water -> Glucose + Oxygen
SB6a - What is the equation for respiration?
Glucose + Oxygen -> Carbon dioxide + Water
SB6a - What does photsynthesis do?
It traps energy from the sunlight and converts it to glucose
SB6a - Where does photosynthesis occur?
In the chloroplasts of the plant cell
SB6a - What type of reaction is photsynthesis?
Endothermic. The products have more enrgy than the reactants. This means they have taken in energy from the surroundings during the reactions
SB6a - Why is glucose necessary?
Glucose molecules are joined together to form a polymer of starch. After photosynthesis stops, this is broken down to simple molecules which are used to form sucrose. Sucrose is used to make:
- Starch (In a storage organ such as a potato)
- other molecules for the plant (cellulose, lipids etc.)
- Glucose for respiration (to release energy)
SB6a - How are leaves adapted for their purpose?
- They have a broad flat shape giving them a large surface area for photsynthesis
- There are lots of palisade cells near the top which are packed with chloroplasts to absorb light
- Stomata allow carbon dioxide to diffuse in for photosynthesis
- When there is light (during day) water flows into guard cells making them rigid and when there is less light (nighttime) The water flows out making it loose its rigidity
- When it is rigid, it is open so it is only open when there is light
- This means it will only allow carbon dioxide to diffuse when there is also light to conduct photsynthesis
- Leaves are thin meaning carbon dioxide doesn’t have far to diffuse
SB6a - Tomayto, tomahto?
Stomayto, stomatoh
SB6a - Why are the stomata an example of a gas exchange system?
They let carbon dioxide diffuse in and let oxygen diffuse out
SB6b - What are the three main limiting factors that affect photosynthesis?
- Carbon dioxide CONCENTRATION
- Light INTENSITY
- Temperature
SB6b - Why are plants less likely to grow higher up on a mountain?
Higher up, the air pressure is lower meaining the carbon dioxide concentration is lower
SB6b - A graph showing how increasing rate of light intensity affects rate of photosynthesis eventually levels out. Why can’t it get any higher despite light intensity increasing?
As the graph curves, light intensity is the limiting factor. Once it levels out, something else is the limiting factor.
SB6b - Once the rate of photosynthesis can’t increase anymore (due to light intensity in this case) how would you increase the rate of photosynthesis?
Something else is the limiting factor.. Increasing the CO2 concentration or increasing the temperature will allow the rate of photosynthesis to continue to increase. Eventually it will level out again as something else has become the limiting factor.
SB6b - Why is it that even if temperature is the limiting factor, you’ll get to a point where increasing it won’t increase the rate of photosynthesis?
At a temperature that is too high, the enzymes in the plant become denatured. They can no longer bind to their substrate and therefore processes can’t occur anymore
SB6b - What is the inverse square law, and where does it apply to?
The inverse square law is used to find out how light intensity chages ith distance from the source.
I - light intensity d -distance
I(original) x d(original)² = I(new) x d(new)²
light intensity is inversely proportionate to the square of the distance