Chapter 6
Plant
Nutriti
on
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Syllabus Content
6.1 Photosynthesis
6.2 Leaf structure
6.3 Mineral nutrition
6.1 Photosynthesis
• Understand that photosynthesis is the process by which plants make carbohydrates from raw
materials using energy from light
• State that chlorophyll is a green pigment that is found in chloroplasts
• State that chlorophyll transfers light energy into chemical energy for the formation of glucose
and other carbohydrates
• Outline the subsequent use and storage of the carbohydrates made in photosynthesis, limited to:
(a) starch as an energy store (b) cellulose to build cell walls (c) glucose used in respiration to
provide energy (d) sucrose for transport through the plant
• State the word equation and balanced chemical equation for photosynthesis 6 Investigate the
need for chlorophyll, light and carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, using appropriate controls
• Describe and explain the effect of varying light intensity, carbon dioxide concentration and
temperature on the rate of photosynthesis
• Investigate the effect of varying light intensity, carbon dioxide concentration and temperature on
the rate of photosynthesis using submerged aquatic plants and hydrogencarbonate indicator
solution
• Identify and explain the limiting factors of photosynthesis in different environmental conditions
DAY 1
15 Oct 2024
1. Understand that photosynthesis is the
process by which plants make carbohydrates
from raw materials using energy from light
• Photosynthesis can be defined as:
• The process by which plants
manufacture carbohydrates from
raw materials using energy from
light
• Greenplants make glucose from the raw
materials carbon dioxide and water
• Atthe same time, oxygen is made and
released as a waste product
• Thegreen
pigment chlorophyll absorbs light
energy from the sun, providing the
5. State the word equation and balanced chemical
equation for photosynthesis
• Photosynthesis Equations
• The word equation for photosynthesis can be represented as follows:
5. State the word equation and balanced chemical equation for photosynthesis
• Plants gain the materials required for photosynthesis from their surroundings
• Light energy from the sun is converted into chemical energy in the bonds holding
the atoms in the glucose molecules together
• The balanced chemical equation for photosynthesis is:
• Thechemical symbol for glucose is C6H12O6; to provide enough atoms of carbon,
hydrogen and oxygen to produce glucose, 6 molecules of carbon dioxide and 6
molecules of water need to enter the reaction
Photosynthesis
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DAY 2
16 Oct 2024
2 & 3. State that chlorophyll is a green pigment that
is found in chloroplasts
• Chlorophyll is a green pigment found inside plant
cell chloroplasts
• It is this pigment which gives plants their characteristic
green colour
• Chlorophyll
absorbs light energy, transferring it
into stored chemical energy in the bonds
of glucose molecules
• Theglucose produced during photosynthesis can be
converted into other carbohydrates, such as sucrose and
starch
DAY 3
17 Oct 2024
4. Outline the subsequent use and storage of the carbohydrates made in
photosynthesis, limited to: (a) starch as an energy store (b) cellulose to build cell
walls (c) glucose used in respiration to provide energy (d) sucrose for transport
through the plant
• Use & Storage of Carbohydrates
• The carbohydrates produced by plants during photosynthesis
can be used or stored as follows:
• Converted into starch molecules; these are an energy
store for plant cells
• Converted into cellulose to build cell walls
• Glucose can be used in respiration, which releases energy
for cell activities
• Glucose can be converted to sucrose for transport in the
phloem
• Plants
can also convert the carbohydrates that they
produce into lipids and amino acids
DAY 4
18 Oct 2024
6. Investigate the need for chlorophyll, light and carbon
dioxide for photosynthesis, using appropriate controls
•Investigating the Need for
Chlorophyll
• Theoccurrence of photosynthesis can be demonstrated by
observing the presence of its products
• Althoughplants make glucose in photosynthesis, leaves cannot
be tested for its presence as the glucose is quickly used or
converted into other substances
• Starchis stored in chloroplasts, where photosynthesis occurs,
so testing a leaf for starch is a reliable indicator that
photosynthesis is taking place
Leaves can be tested for starch using the following
procedure:
1. A leaf is dropped in boiling water to kill the cells and break down cell membranes
2. The leaf is left for 5-10 minutes in hot ethanol in a boiling tube; this removes the
chlorophyll so that colour changes from iodine can be seen more clearly
• Care must be taken at this stage as ethanol is extremely flammable; the Bunsen burner should
be turned off before any ethanol is poured into the boiling tube
• A water bath could be used to avoid the need for naked flames
3. The leaf is dipped in boiling water to soften it
4. The leaf is spread out on a white tile and covered with iodine solution
5. Any parts of the leaf where photosynthesis has recently occurred will turn blue-black,
indicating the presence of starch
• In a green leaf, the entire leaf will turn blue-black as photosynthesis is occurring in all areas of the
leaf
•Thismethod can be used to
test whether chlorophyll is
needed for photosynthesis by
using a variegated leaf
that is partially green and
partially white
•The white areas of the leaf
contain no chlorophyll, so
when the leaf is tested only
the areas that contain
chlorophyll stain blue-
black
• The
areas that have no chlorophyll
remain orange-brown as no
photosynthesis is occurring here
Investigating the Need for Light
• The
procedure above can also be used to demonstrate that light is
needed for photosynthesis:
• Remove any starch stored in the leaves by placing a plant in a dark cupboard
for 24 hours
• This ensures that any starch already present in the leaves will be used up and will
not affect the results of the experiment
• Partiallycover a leaf of the plant with aluminium foil and place the plant in
sunlight for a further 24 hours
• Remove the leaf and test for starch as shown above
• Thearea of the leaf covered with aluminium foil will remain
orange-brown, as it did not receive any sunlight and could not
photosynthesise, while the area exposed to sunlight will turn blue-
black
• This
demonstrates that light is necessary for photosynthesis and the
production of starch
Investigating the
Need for Carbon
The need for carbon dioxide in photosynthesis can be demonstrated
Dioxide
•
using the following procedure:
Remove starch from two plants by placing them in the dark for 24
•
hours
• Place one plant in a bell jar which contains a beaker of sodium
hydroxide
• Sodium hydroxide will absorb carbon dioxide from the
surrounding air
• Place the other plant in a bell jar which contains a beaker of
water, which will not absorb carbon dioxide from the
surrounding air
• Water here acts as an experimental control, demonstrating
that it is the presence of the sodium hydroxide, and not any
other factor, that is affecting the plant
• Place both plants in bright light for 24 hours
• Test both plants for starch using iodine, as shown above
• The leaf from the plant placed near sodium hydroxide will remain
orange-brown, as a lack of carbon dioxide will prevent it from
photosynthesising
• The leaf from the plant placed near water should turn blue-black as
it had all necessary materials for photosynthesis
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DAY 5
19 Oct 2024
7. Describe and explain the effect of varying light intensity,
carbon dioxide concentration and temperature on the rate of
photosynthesis
• Therate of photosynthesis is affected by the
availability of its raw materials, and by
the energy required for chemical reactions to occur
• Thefollowing factors therefore affect the rate of
photosynthesis:
• Lightintensity
• Carbon dioxide concentration
• Temperature
• Note that while water is a raw material in photosynthesis,
it is involved in multiple plant processes, so its effects on
photosynthesis are complex and are not covered here
• Light intensity
• Aslight intensity increases, the rate of photosynthesis will
also increase
• Thisis because photosynthesis is a chemical reaction
that requires light energy, so when less light energy is available,
the reaction occurs at a reduced rate
• Carbon dioxide concentration
• Ascarbon dioxide concentration increases, so does the rate
of photosynthesis
• This
is because carbon dioxide is a reactant in photosynthesis, so
reducing its availability will reduce the rate at which the reaction
can proceed
•Temperature
• The temperature at which photosynthesis occurs is important
because photosynthesis, like many chemical reactions inside
living cells, is controlled by enzymes, and temperature
affects the rate of enzyme-controlled reactions
• As temperature increases, the rate of photosynthesis
increases, up to a point
• More energy is available for the movement and collision of
molecules at higher temperatures
• It can be said that molecules have more kinetic energy at high
temperatures
• Athigh temperatures, the rate of photosynthesis
decreases, and may reach zero
• At extreme temperatures the specific shape that is essential to
enzyme function is lost as chemical bonds inside the enzyme
DAY 6
22 Oct 2024
8. Investigate the effect of varying light intensity, carbon dioxide
concentration and temperature on the rate of photosynthesis using
submerged aquatic plants and hydrogencarbonate indicator solution
• As photosynthesis occurs, oxygen gas is produced and released into the surroundings;
the volume of oxygen produced can be used as a measure of the rate of
photosynthesis
• In aquatic plants, the oxygen released can be seen as bubbles released into the water;
the number of bubbles produced over a minute can therefore be used as a
measure of photosynthetic rate
• The more bubbles produced per minute, the faster the rate of photosynthesis
• The aquatic plants usually used in this experiment are Elodea or Cabomba, both types
of pondweed
• It is also possible to collect the oxygen released in a test tube inverted over the top of
the pondweed; this allows the volume of oxygen produced to be measured
• This gives a more accurate measure of the rate of reaction, as the results are not affected by the
different sizes of bubble
• This practical can be used to investigate the effect of various factors on the rate of
photosynthesis
The effect of light intensity on the rate of
photosynthesis
• Theeffect of changing light intensity on the rate of photosynthesis
can be investigated by placing a lamp at different
distances from a beaker that contains pondweed and measuring
oxygen production
• A lamp that is further away will reduce the light intensity in comparison
to a lamp that is close by
Investigating the effect of changing light intensity on
photosynthesis diagram
The effect of carbon dioxide concentration on the rate of
photosynthesis
• The effect of changing carbon
dioxide concentration on the rate
of photosynthesis can be
investigated by dissolving
different amounts of sodium
hydrogen carbonate in water in a
beaker
The effect of temperature on the rate of photosynthesis
• Theeffect of changing
temperature on the rate of
photosynthesis can be
investigated by changing the
temperature of the water in the
beaker
• Investigatingthe effect of
changing temperature on the
rate of photosynthesis
diagram
Using hydrogencarbonate indicator
• Hydrogencarbonate indicator shows the carbon dioxide concentration in solution
• This is possible because carbon dioxide is an acidic gas when dissolved in water
• It is possible to investigate the effect of environmental factors on photosynthesis in
a submerged aquatic plant using a pH indicator such as hydrogencarbonate
indicator
• Carbon dioxide is a reactant in photosynthesis, so measuring the rate at which carbon
dioxide is removed from a solution gives a measure of the rate of photosynthesis
• Hydrogencarbonate indicator can be used to investigate rate of photosynthesis by placing
an aquatic plant in water that contains hydrogencarbonate indicator and measuring
colour change under different environmental conditions
• E.g. measuring the time taken for colour to change from red to purple at different light
intensities
• Hydrogencarbonate indicator can be used to investigate the rate of photosynthesis in a
plant in relation to the rate of respiration
• A plant that is photosynthesising at a faster rate than it is respiring will cause the indicator
to turn purple
• Carbon dioxide is used up by photosynthesis faster than it is produced in respiration
• A plant that is respiring faster than it is photosynthesising, e.g. in the dark, will cause the
indicator to turn yellow
• Carbon dioxide is produced faster by respiration than it is used up in photosynthesis
Ensuring validity
• Wheninvestigating a particular variable, it is essential to keep all
other variables constant so that they do not affect the results,
e.g.
• When investigating changing light intensity, a glass tank should be
placed in between the lamp and the beaker to absorb heat from the lamp
and so avoid changing the temperature of the water
• When investigating temperature or carbon dioxide concentration, the
lamp should always be placed at a constant distance from the plant
• Exam Tip
• When describing the oxygen released during these experiments, you
should always refer to the volume of gas, or the number of
bubbles, rather than using vague terms such as 'amount'.
DAY 7
23 Oct 2024
9. Identify and explain the limiting factors of photosynthesis
in different environmental conditions
• A plant that is given unlimited sunlight, carbon dioxide and water, and that is in a warm
environment, will be able to photosynthesise at its maximum rate
• However, most plants do not have unlimited supplies of their raw materials, so their rate of
photosynthesis is limited by whichever factor is in shortest supply at any given time
• So, a limiting factor can be defined as:
• An environmental factor that limits the rate of a reaction
• There are three main factors which limit the rate of photosynthesis:
• Temperature
• Light intensity
• Carbon dioxide concentration
• Note that although water is necessary for photosynthesis, it is not considered a limiting
factor
• Water is involved in multiple plant processes, such as transport and cell turgidity, so it is
likely to affect other plant processes before it directly affects the rate of photosynthesis, e.g.
limited water availability will cause stomata to close, limiting carbon dioxide availability
Temperature
• Astemperature increases,
the rate of photosynthesis
increases
• On a graph of temperature against
rate of photosynthesis, this can be
seen as an upward curve
• This
trend continues up to a
temperature at which the enzymes
begin to denature and the rate of
reaction then decreases
As temperature increases, the rate of
photosynthesis increases. The continues up to a
temperature at which enzyme denaturation occurs,
after which the rate of photosynthesis decreases
Light intensity
• Thehigher the light intensity, the faster the
rate of photosynthesis
• On a graph of light intensity and rate of photosynthesis,
this can be seen as a linear relationship
• While the graph shows this linear relationship, light
intensity is the limiting factor
• Thistrend will continue until some other factor
required for photosynthesis prevents the rate from
increasing further
• Atthis point, the factor that prevents the rate from
increasing further becomes the limiting factor; the new
limiting factor could be:
• Temperature
• Carbon dioxide concentration
As light intensity increases, so does the rate of
photosynthesis; this can be seen as a linear
relationship on a graph. Once the graph levels off,
another factor, e.g. temperature, has become the
limiting factor
Carbon dioxide concentration
• As
carbon dioxide concentration increases, the rate of
photosynthesis increases
• On a graph of carbon dioxide concentration and rate of
photosynthesis, this can be seen as a linear relationship
• While the graph shows this linear relationship, carbon dioxide
concentration is the limiting factor
• This trend will continue until some other factor required for
photosynthesis prevents the rate from increasing further; the new
limiting factor could be:
• Temperature
• Light intensity
As carbon dioxide concentration increases, so does the rate
of photosynthesis. This continues until another factors
becomes limiting
• Exam Tip
• Interpreting
graphs of limiting factors can be confusing for many
students, so remember the following:
• In
the section of the graph where the rate is increasing (the line is
going up), the limiting factor matches the label on the x axis of the
graph
• Inthe section of the graph where the rate is not increasing (the
line is horizontal), the limiting factor will be something other than
what is on the x axis – choose from temperature, light intensity or
carbon dioxide concentration
DAY 8
24 Oct 2024
6.2 Leaf structure
Identify and label the cuticle,
01
State that most leaves have a 02
cellular and tissue structures of a
03
large surface area and are thin, dicotyledonous leaf, as seen in
and explain how these features diagrams or photomicrographs, and (a) stomata and guard
explain how these structures are
are adaptations for cells
photosynthesis adaptations for photosynthesis and
gas exchange, limited to:
Your title Your title Your title
here 04 here 05 here 06
(d) vascular bundles
(b) spongy and (c) air spaces
(xylem and phloem)
palisade mesophyll (e) distribution of
cells chloroplasts
(f) upper and lower
1. State that most leaves have a large surface area and are thin, and
explain how these features are adaptations for photosynthesis
• Leaf
Structure &
Adaptations for
Photosynthesis
• Leaves are plant organs that
carry out photosynthesis
• Their
structure is adapted to
maximize photosynthesis, e.g.
• They have a large surface area to
maximize light absorption
• They are thin to allow efficient
movement of gases between leaf
cells and the surrounding air
2. Identifying Leaf Structures in a Dicotyledonous Plan
• Dicotyledonous plants are a group of flowering plants
• The following structures are present in the leaves of dicotyledonous plants:
• Cuticle
• Stomata
• Guard cells
• Spongy mesophyll
• Palisade mesophyll
• Air spaces
• Vascular bundles
• Xylem
• Phloem
• Chloroplasts
• Upper and lower epidermis
• These structures are all adaptive features that allow leaves to
photosynthesise efficiently
Leaf Structure
Adaptations
DAY 9
25 Oct 2024
6.3 MINERAL
NUTRITION
Explain the importance of nitrate ions for making
amino acids, required for the production of
proteins
Explain the importance of magnesium ions for
making chlorophyll
1. Explain the importance of nitrate ions for
making amino acids, required for the
production of proteins
Activity
•Lets visit our school to
find plants with these
deficiencies.
