Topic 4: Bioenergetics Flashcards
Define photosynthesis
A process found in plants that uses light energy to change carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen
Is photosynthesis an exothermic or endothermic reaction?
Endothermic - energy is transferred from the environment in the process
Where does photosynthesis take place?
Mainly in the chloroplasts containing chlorophyll of the plant’s leaves and a smaller amount on the stem (basically anywhere that’s green)
How does water reach the leaf for photosynthesis?
Through the roots (root hair cells) then up through the xylem via transpiration and to the leaf
What is the word equation for photosynthesis?
carbon dioxide + water ——-light——> glucose + oxygen
What is the symbol equation for photosynthesis?
6CO(2) + 6H(2)O ——-light——> C(6)H(12)O(6) + 6O(2)
What role does chlorophyll play in photosynthesis?
Chlorophyll absorbs light energy needed for photosynthesis
In what 5 ways is glucose used in a plant?
- Respiration
- Making cellulose
- Making amino acids
- Fatty acids (lipids)
- Starch
What role does glucose have in respiration in plants?
Plants use glucose as a reactant in respiration, which is where energy is released from the breakdown of glucose
What role does glucose have in making cellulose in plants?
Glucose is converted into cellulose for making strong cell walls especially in a rapidly growing plant to support and strengthen the cells
What role does glucose have in making amino acids in plants?
Glucose is combined with nitrate ions (absorbed from the soil) to make amino acids which are the building blocks for proteins
How is glucose stored in plants?
As lipids - plants convert some glucose into lipids (fats an oils) and store these in seeds eg sunflower seeds contain a lot of oil
As starch - plants can convert glucose into starch so it’s ready for use when photosynthesis is not happening as much such as in winter eg potato and parsnip plants store a lot of starch underground over winter
Where is starch stored in the plant?
In the roots, stems, seeds and leaves
Why is starch better for storage than glucose?
Starch is insoluble which makes it much better for storing starch than glucose: a cell with lots of glucose would draw in lots of water and swell up
What 4 things is the rate of photosynthesis affected by?
Light intensity
Concentration of CO(2)
Temperature
Amount of chlorophyll
What happens when one of the factors affecting photosynthesis becomes too high or too low?
It becomes a limiting factor
Why would an increase in light intensity only increase the rate of photosynthesis up to a certain point?
Another limiting factor will be affecting it
What happens to the rate of photosynthesis when light intensity increases?
As the light level is raised the rate of photosynthesis increases, but only up to a certain point, where it will plateau due to the presence of other limiting factors
What happens to the rate of photosynthesis when carbon dioxide concentration increases?
As the carbon dioxide level is raised the rate of photosynthesis increases, but only up to a certain point, where it will plateau due to the presence of other limiting factors
How does the presence of enzymes affect the rate of photosynthesis?
Enzymes increase the rate of photosynthesis in plant cells
What is an enzyme?
Enzymes are proteins which increase the speed of chemical reactions in living things.
What limiting factor affects the speed at which enzymes work?
Temperature
What happens to the rate of photosynthesis when the temp gets too low and why?
The rate will decrease as the enzymes needed for photosynthesis work slower at low temperatures
What happens to the rate of photosynthesis when the temp gets too high and why?
It will decrease (around 45 degrees) as the enzymes needed for photosynthesis and other reactions will be denatured (destroyed)
Describe a graph showing how the rate of photosynthesis is affected by light intensity and temperature
At the start, both of the lines show that as the light intensity increases, the rate of photosynthesis increases steadily. But the lines level off when light is no longer a limiting factor. The line at 25 degrees c levels off higher than the line at 15 degrees c, implying that temperature must have been a limiting factor at 15 degrees c
(see pg 174)
What practical would be used to investigate the rate of photosynthesis?
Using an aquatic plant moved further and closer from a light source where the rate at which the pondweed produces oxygen corresponds to the rate of photosynthesis
Describe the pondweed experiment
White light is placed a specific distance from the pondweed
Leave the pw for a couple of mins to adjust to the light intensity
The pondweed is left to photosynthesise for a set amount of time
As it reacts, the gas produced will be collected in a capillary tube
A syringe is used to draw the gas bubble(s) from the tube and this is measured against a ruler, representing the volume of O(2) produced
Take repeats
Move the light source at different distances from the pondweed
What is the independent variable of the pondweed experiment?
The light intensity
What is the dependent variable of the pondweed experiment?
The amount of oxygen produced (amount or length of bubble)