Science - Biology - Bioenergetics - B4 Flashcards
what is photosynthesis ?
photosynthesis is the process that produces ‘food’ in plants
what is the food produced from photosynthesis that plants need ?
glucose - a sugar
what are the reactants in photosynthesis ?
- water
- carbon dioxide
what are the products of photosynthesis ?
- glucose
- oxygen
where does photosynthesis take place ?
in the chloroplasts in green plant cells
what do the chloroplasts contain ?
a pigment called chlorophyll which absorbs light
what type of reaction is photosynthesis ?
an endothermic reaction
what is an endothermic reaction ?
a reaction where energy is transferred from the environment in the process
how does carbon dioxide leave the leaf cell, and oxygen enter ?
diffusion
how does water reach the cell ?
through the xylem
what is the word equation for photosynthesis ?
carbon dioxide + water - light - glucose + oxygen
what is the symbol equation for photosynthesis ?
6CO2 + 6H20 - light - C6H12O6 + 6O2
what are the main things that glucose is used for ?
- respiration
- making cellulose
- making amino acids
what is respiration ?
a process which occurs in all living organisms, where energy is released from the breakdown of glucose
what is the energy released from glucose, respiration used for ?
- to convert the rest of the glucose into other useful substances
what is cellulose used for ?
making strong cell walls to strengthen and support the cells
what are amino acids ?
the building blocks which make up proteins
what is combined with glucose to make amino acids ?
nitrate ions
how can glucose be stored ?
in -
- starch
- lipids
give an example of how glucose is stored in lipids
sunflower seeds
why is glucose stored as starch ?
so its ready to use when photosynthesis isn’t happening as much, like in the winter
give an example of how glucose is stored in starch
- in roots
- in stems
- seeds
- leaves
why is starch good for storing glucose ?
it is insoluble
what does the rate of photosynthesis depend on ?
- intensity of light
- volume of carbon dioxide
- temperature
what is a limiting factor ?
the factor which is stopping photosynthesis from happening any faster
give an example of when light is a limiting factor for photosynthesis
- at night there’s much less light than there is during the day, so light intensity is usually the limiting factor at night
give an example for when temperature is a limiting factor for photosynthesis
- in winter it is usually cold, so a low temperature is often the limiting factor
give an example of when the volume of carbon dioxide is a limiting factor for photosynthesis
- if it’s warm enough and bright enough, the amount of carbon dioxide is usually limiting
give an example of how chlorophyll is a limiting factor of photosynthesis
the amount of chlorophyll in a plant can be affected by disease or environmental stress. These factors cause chloroplasts to become damaged or not to make enough chlorophyll, so photosynthesis is limited as they can’t absorb as much light
describe the graph showing how light intensity affects the rate of photosynthesis
the rate increases with light intensity, then the line goes straight
why does the line in the light intensity graph stop increasing ?
the rate stops increasing because the temperature or volume of carbon dioxide then becomes the limiting factor, not light
describe the graph showing how carbon dioxide level affects the rate of photosynthesis
the rate steadily increases, then stops because the light or temperature becomes the limiting factor