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 PHOTOSYNTHESIS

Just like human beings, plants also need to feed in order for them to continue living.

They do this through a process known as photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is a process by

which green parts of the leaf manufactures their own food (glucose) from carbon

dioxide and water in the presence of sunlight and chlorophyll. Plants are autotrophic

(makes their own food) and they are the primary producers of energy.

The process of photosynthesis happens in two phases:

1. Light reaction: this is a reaction where light energy is absorbed by chlorophyll

and then converted into chemical energy which is used to split water into

hydrogen and oxygen. Oxygen is then released into the atmosphere.

2. Dark reaction: during this reaction carbon dioxide combines with hydrogen from

water to form glucose.

The figure below illustrates what happens during photosynthesis.

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What happens during photosynthesis can be summarized by the word equation below.

sunlight
Carbon dioxide + water glucose + oxygen
chlorophyll

Experiment

Aim: to test a leaf for starch

Materials: iodine solution, water, a leafy potted plant, beaker, test tube, test tube

holder, methylated spirit/ethanol, source of heat, tripod stand, white tile, forceps.

Method

a. Expose a potted plant to sunlight for more than 4 hours.

b. Detach one of the leaves from the potted plant.

c. Put the detached leaf in boiling water in the beaker. This is done to kill

protoplasm (cell membrane, nucleus and cytoplasm).

d. Remove the leaf from boiling water.

e. Put the leaf into a test tube and add some alcohol (ethanol or methylated spirit)

then put cotton wool on the mouth of the test tube.

f. Put the test tube in hot water let it boil while the heat source is turned off. This

is done to remove chlorophyll from the leaf to make seeing of colour change easy.

Caution: don’t heat the alcohol directly because it is highly flammable

g. Remove the test tube from hot water using a test tube holder and pour out the

alcohol.

h. Remove the leaf from the test tube and rinse it in warm water. This is done to

soften the leaf.

i. Finally spread the leaf on a white tile and add 2 drops of iodine solution.

j. Observe and record your observations.

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Observation

Write what you see after adding iodine solution on the leaf.

Conclusion

Write what has caused the colour change you have observed.

Conditions necessary for photosynthesis

Conditions necessary for photosynthesis are things needed in order for photosynthesis

to take place. If one of them is missing, then photosynthesis would not take place; they

are limiting factors.

There are four (4) conditions necessary for photosynthesis and these are:

1 Carbon dioxide,

2 Water,

3 Sunlight and

4 chlorophyll

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There are experiments which can be done to show that these things are needed if

photosynthesis is to take place.

When conducting these experiments, we need to have the control and the experiment

The control has all the 4 conditions necessary for photosynthesis.

The experiment lacks one of the conditions. This is the one which determines whether

the condition under investigation is necessary or not.

Experiment 1

Aim: to show that chlorophyll is necessary for photosynthesis.

Materials: iodine solution, water, a variegated potted plant, beaker, test tube, test

tube holder, methylated spirit/ethanol, source of heat, tripod stand, white tile, forceps.

Method

a. Destarch a variegated potted plant by putting it in a dark place for about 24 hour

to 48 hours.

b. Remove the plant from the dark place and expose it to sunlight for about 24

hours.

c. Detach one of the variegated leaves from the potted plant and test it for starch.

d. Observe and record your observations.

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Observation

Write what you see after adding iodine solution on the leaf.

Conclusion

Write what has caused the colour changes you have observed.

Experiment 2

Aim: to show that sunlight is necessary for photosynthesis

Materials: iodine solution, water, a potted plant, beaker, test tube, test tube

holder, methylated spirit/ethanol, source of heat, tripod stand, white tile,

forceps.

Method

a. Destarch a potted plant by putting it in a dark place for about 24 hour to 48

hours.

b. Remove the plant from the dark place.

c. Put aluminium foil or black paper on one of the leaves on the potted plant.

d. Expose the plant to sunlight for about 24 hours.

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 e. Detach the leaf on which aluminium foil or black paper was put and test it for

starch.

f. Observe and record your observation.

Observation

Write what you see after adding iodine solution on the leaf

Conclusion

Write what has caused the colour change you have observed.

Experiment 3

Aim: to show that carbon dioxide is necessary for photosynthesis

Material: iodine solution, two potted plants, water, sodium hydroxide solution, sodium

hydrogen carbonate, 2 polythene plastic bags beaker, test tube, test tube holder,

methylated spirit/ethanol, source of heat, tripod stand, white tile, forceps.

Method

a. Destarch a potted plant by putting it in a dark place for about 24 hour to 48

hours.

b. Remove the plant from the dark place.

c. Arrange two set ups as shown below.

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 d. Expose the plant to sunlight for about 24 hours.

e. Detach leaves from the two set ups and test them for starch.

f. Observe and record your observation.

Observation

Write what you see after adding iodine solution on the leaves

Conclusion

Write what has caused the colour change you have observed.

Products of photosynthesis

During photosynthesis, there are two this produced and these are glucose and oxygen.

Experiment

Aim: to show that oxygen is produced during photosynthesis

Materials: pond weeds, water, 2 troughs, 2 test tubes, sodium bicarbonate, transparent

funnels.

Method

a. Put water into a beaker.

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 b. Add sodium bicarbonate to the water in the beaker. Sodium bicarbonate is added

to water to add more carbon dioxide to water.

c. Arrange the set up as shown below.

d. Expose the set up to sunlight.

e. Observe and record what you see.

Observation

Write what you see at the top of each of the inverted test tubes and do the identity

test for the gas collected in the experiment.

Conclusion

Write what has caused the observations you have made.

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 TRANSPIRATION

During photosynthesis, water is used up but it is not every water molecule which is

absorbed from the soil which is used up during photosynthesis; some of it is lost

through transpiration. Transpiration is the loss of water by plants through aerial parts

of the plant. Aerial parts of a plant include all parts on the shoot system.

Transpiration mainly happens on leaves through stomata but it can also take place even

through:

Stem (lenticels)

Flowers

The figure below is illustrating what happens during transpiration.

The instrument used to measure the rate at which transpiration will take place is known

as potometer. The figure below shows a potometer.

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  The function of the airtight seal in the potometer is to ensure that water is lost

only through transpiration. If there is no airtight seal or there is space between

the leafy plant and the water-filled u-tube, some of the water would be lost

through evaporation which would make it difficult to determine the rate of

transpiration. Sometimes, Vaseline can also be used to prevent water from

evaporating.

 In order to prove that water is lost during transpiration, we use anhydrous cobalt

chloride paper which is blue in colour. Once cobalt chloride paper gets into

contact with water vapour, it changes its colour from blue to pink.

Factors that affect the rate of transpiration

Rate of transpiration simply refers to the speed at which transpiration will occur. Rate

of transpiration is affected by two groups of factors and these are

biological/structural factors and environmental factors.

1. Structural factors

 Size of the leaf

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  Shape of the leaf

 Rolling of the leaf

 Arrangement of leaves on the plant

 Sunken stomata

 Thickened cuticle

 Hairy leaves

2. Environmental factors

 Humidity: this refers to the amount of water vapour in the atmosphere.

The high the humidity, the slower the rate of transpiration and vice versa.

 Temperature: the high the temperature, the faster the rate of

transpiration.

 Light intensity: the greater the light intensity, the faster the rate of

transpiration.

 Wind speed: the greater the wind speed, the faster the rate of

transpiration.

Importance of transpiration to plants

1. It provides water for photosynthesis

2. It helps in the absorption of water and mineral salts

3. It helps in the cooling of the plant.

4. It helps in giving support to plants. When water is absorbed because of

transpiration, the cells of the plant become swollen (turgid) thereby making the

plant to stand upright.

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