Photosynthesis and limiting factors.
GCSE Biology Coursework Photosynthesis and limiting factors Plan for the experiment, which will evaluate how the rate of photosynthesis in a water plant is affected when the intensity of a light source is varied. Aim: To investigate how light intensity affects the rate of photosynthesis. Background Information: Plants need carbon dioxide, water, light and chlorophyll in order to make food; and starch and oxygen are produced, if one of these is missing then starch cannot be produced. Photosynthesis occurs rapidly or slowly, depending on the circumstances and this will determine, how much food is made in a certain period of time. Carbon dioxide and water are the raw materials of photosynthesis and they react to produce starch and oxygen, which are the products. These reactions need energy, which comes from the light and it is the chlorophyll, which enables the plant to use light energy for this process. Glucose is then formed and later turned in to starch. In order to make a prediction for my experiment I will have to research photosynthesis and it's limiting factors. A limiting factor is something that will either slow a process down or if the amount of it is increased the rate of the process will speed up. There are five limiting factors for the rate of photosynthesis, which are: light, carbon dioxide, water, temperature and chlorophyll. Experiments show that the more
Limiting Factors & the Rate of Photosynthesis.
Limiting Factors & the Rate of Photosynthesis James Irwin Introduction Photosynthesis can be defined as the production of simple sugars from carbon dioxide and water causing the release of sugar and oxygen. For photosynthesis to take place a plant requires carbon dioxide, water, light, a suitable temperature, chlorophyll and availability of nutrients. The raw materials of photosynthesis are carbon dioxide and water. Carbon Dioxide is the only form in which a plant can take in carbon, however, in this case using an aquatic plant, in may obtain it from hydrogen carbonate ions in the water. The limiting factors of photosynthesis are: * Light Intensity If you put a plant in total darkness, it cannot photosynthesize at all. As the amount of light is increased, the rate of photosynthesis increases until the chloroplast is working at full capacity. At this level of light intensity, adding more light makes not difference to the rate of photosynthesis. In fact, it may reduce it, because very bright light can bleach chlorophyll and make the leaf much less efficient. This graph resembles that as the increase in light intensity (which can be measured in lux) increases, the rate of photosynthesis, until another factor such as carbon dioxide or temperature, limits it. * Concentration of Carbon Dioxide Carbon dioxide is needed to make sugars in the leaf. Carbon dioxide is present
Photosynthesis and Limiting Factors
AT1: Photosynthesis and Limiting Factors Aim: In this experiment, I will test to see how heat affects the rate of photosynthesis in a water plant as a limiting factor. Background Knowledge: Photosynthesis is the process by which chlorophyll containing organisms, (namely green plants, algae, and some bacteria), capture energy in the form of light and convert it to chemical energy. Virtually all the energy available for life in the earth's biosphere, (the zone in which life can exist), is made available through photosynthesis. A generalized chemical equation for photosynthesis is: Carbon Dioxide + Water + light energy = Sugar (Glucose) + Oxygen + Water This can be seen as two different chains of reactions... One involves the transfer of light energy into chemical energy that is light intensity dependant - if it is lighter the reaction happens more efficiently. The other shows the creation of glucose and is heat dependant. The glucose is created by carbon dioxide and water, and the reaction is powered by the chemical energy converted from solar energy. The carbon dioxide must be broken down using enzymes to form the basics of the glucose. This is heat dependant because enzymes work better at higher temperatures. This creates glucose (C6H12O6) and waste products, oxygen (O2) and a little water (H2O). Artificial Photosynthesis If chemists were able to duplicate
Investigate The Limiting Factors of photosynthesis.
TOM BAILEY BIOLOGY COURSEWORK INVESTIGATE THE LIMITING FACTORS OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS AIM: The aim of this investigation is to explore how light intensity effects photosynthesis. We will be looking at the light factor and changing it. This will be to increase or decrease the intensity of the light. DIAGRAM: METHOD: - Collect all of the apparatus needed for the experiment - Fill trough and collection tube with water - (Make sure that you are wearing an apron and safety goggles) - Set up apparatus as shown on the above diagram - Place the pondweed in the test tube and add sodium hydroxide - Put lamp in front of the test tube and observe gas produced - Decrease the distance of the lamp from the test tube three times at 10cm changes each time - Do the test three times for each distance We have decided that it is not appropriate to use a gas collection tube in this experiment because not enough gas will be produced. So we will count the amount of bubbles produced, then record this in a table. - We put a piece of pondweed 4.5cm tall into 6cm's of sodium hydroxide into a boiling tube - We weighed it down with a piece of plastercine so there was enough room to see the bubbles coming up - We turned the lamp on 10cm's away from the test tube so that the pondweed could equilibrate to the light - We then put on a timer and counted the amount of bubbles which came off in
Photosynthesis " Limiting Factor
Photosynthesis - Limiting Factor (Light Wavelength) Nick Gourlay Purpose The purpose of this experiment is to design a procedure to determine how much the rate of photosynthesis varies when different colours from the visible light spectrum are used as the light source. Hypothesis As the light colours change from darker to lighter colours (for example from blue to white), the rate of photosynthesis will vary, in that it will not show any change in the middle of the colour spectrum (since green is reflected by chlorophyll), but will with the rest of the colours (white, red, and blue) because chlorophyll absorbs all colours and reflects green. Materials - Elodea (water plant) - Graduated cylinders - Test tubes - Water - Thermometer - Lamp - Light filters Experimental Design The design of this experiment is one which allows us to observe the rate of photosynthesis as it is exposed to different colours of light. For photosynthesis to occur the presence of light is needed, (white light permits plants to absorb all colours of the spectrum except for green, which is reflected). In order to observe the impact of each colour on photosynthesis, we must have a similar mass of plant placed in water (in different test tubes) and use different light filters, (white as a control, and red, green, blue), in order to tests their effects on the rate of photosynthesis.
Investigate one of the limiting factors on rate of photosynthesis in a water plant
Investigate one of the limiting factors on rate of photosynthesis in a water plant INTRODUCTION Photosynthesis is the process by which plants make their own food for photosynthesis to occur the plants need sunlight energy, the energy is absorbed by a green pigment called chlorophyll which is found in the leaves. This energy then combines with water molecules from the soil, and carbon dioxide from the air. Then as a result of this a type of sugar called glucose is produced and oxygen is made. The equation for photosynthesis is 6co2 + 6H2oc6 H12 o6 + 6o2 There are certain things that affect photosynthesis and these are called limiting factors. Things like light intensity can affect the rate of photosynthesis- we call them limiting factors. It doesn't matter if the plant has lots of carbon dioxide and a nice warm temperature. If light is in short supply, then light will limit the rate of photosynthesis Let's say light intensity is limiting photosynthesis, the only way to increase the rate is to increase the limiting factor. In this case light intensity. Other limiting factors are carbon dioxide and temperature. But only one factor can limit the rate at any one time. It depends on which one is in the shortest supply. I will not be testing the rate of photosynthesis in a water plant with carbon dioxide as it is too vague a subject to do and stimata is too difficult. So
An Experiment Showing The Limiting Factors Of Photosynthesis.
This experiment is going to show how light intensity affects the rate of photosynthesis in Canadian Pond Weed, Elodea. Elodea has long been used in experiments to estimate the rate of photosynthesis. The first example was by Reinke in 1883. He counted the bubbles given off by Elodea in spring water with a little added carbon dioxide when it was exposed to lights of different intensities. Elodea is a green plant. It makes glucose from carbon dioxide and water, using light as energy. Elodea can only photosynthesise when light shines on it. Elodea produces oxygen during photosynthesis when light shines on the plant. Glucose, made in photosynthesis, is a source of energy for Elodea. It is used for the growth and repair of plant cells. Energy is transferred from glucose to the cells during aerobic respiration. Elodea respires at a steady rate all of the time; Elodea makes oxygen during aerobic respiration. Planning Experimental Procedure: Plants need certain amounts of Carbon Dioxide, light and an optimum temperature to produce glucose. I am going to attempt to find out how the rate of photosynthesis differs at dissimilar light intensities. Factors affecting photosynthesis in Elodea: * Light intensity, as it increases, so does the rate of photosynthesis until no more increase happens, whatever the light intensity * Carbon dioxide concentration, as the amount of carbon
The Factors Effecting Photosynthesis.
The Factors Effecting Photosynthesis Aim: To investigate a factor that affects the rate of photosynthesis. Outline: A piece of pondweed will be cut and placed into a beaker containing water and sodium hydrogen carbonate. A lamp will be shined on to the pondweed and the amount of bubbles released from the plant will be counted. The lamp will be adjusted to different distances from the plant to try and obtain different results. Photosynthesis Equation: Carbon Dioxide + Water -----------} Glucose + Oxygen 6CO2 + 6H2O ------------} C6H12O6 + 6O2 Variables: Light intensity is the variable i will be exploring in this investigation. Increasing or decreasing the distance from the light source to the plant will vary the light intensity. Fixed Variables: Light Wavelength (color): Light energy is absorbed by pigments in the leaf such as chlorophyll. Chlorophyll easily absorbs blue light, in the 400-450 nm range, and also easily absorbs red light in the 650-700 nm range. Chlorophyll does not absorb green light or yellow light effectively but tends to reflect them, decreasing the amount of light absorbed and decreasing the rate of photosynthesis. Why the rate of photosynthesis increases or decreased from the amount of light energy absorbed is what is being investigated in this experiment. The light color can be fixed by using the same lamp throughout the experiment. Carbon
Factors That Affect Photosynthesis.
Factors That Affect Photosynthesis Aim: To investigate a factor that affects the rate of photosynthesis. Outline: A piece of pondweed will be cut and placed into a beaker containing water and sodium hydrogen carbonate. A lamp will be shined on to the pondweed and the amount of bubbles released from the plant will be counted. The lamp will be adjusted to different distances from the plant to try and obtain different results. Photosynthesis Equation: 6CO2 + 6H2O light energy & chlorophyll C6H12O6 + 6O2 Variables: Experimental Variable- Light intensity is to be the variable explored in this investigation. Increasing or decreasing the distance from the light source to the plant can vary light intensity. Fixed Variables- Light Wavelength (color)- Light energy is absorbed by pigments in the leaf such as chlorophyll. Chlorophyll easily absorbs blue light, in the 400-450 nm range, and also easily absorbs red light in the 650-700 nm range. Chlorophyll does not absorb green light or yellow light effectively but tends to reflect them, decreasing the amount of light absorbed and decreasing the rate of photosynthesis. Why the rate of photosynthesis increases or decreased from the amount of light energy absorbed is what is being investigated in this experiment. The light color can be fixed by using the same lamp throughout the experiment. Carbon Dioxide- CO2 concentration can
Photosynthesis And Factors Affecting It.
Biology Coursework: Photosynthesis And Factors Affecting It Niall O'Connor Introduction: Green plants make their own food by the process of Photosynthesis. Four things are needed for photosynthesis to occur in the cells of green plants, light from the Sun, carbon dioxide which diffuses from the air, water from the soil and chlorophyll from the leaves of the plant. Photosynthesis produces glucose, which is used for biomass and energy and oxygen, which is released into the atmosphere. The Word & Symbol Equation For Photosynthesis: Carbon Dioxide + Water Glucose + Oxygen 6CO2 + 6H20 C6H12O6 + 6O2 Scientific Knowledge: Effect of Temperature: (Graph from Lonsdale science revision guide) Temperature can be a limiting factor upon photosynthesis as the rate of photosynthesis rises as the temperature rises. However once the temperature reaches 45 C, the enzymes controlling the photosynthesis become denatured and so photosynthesis is stopped. Effect Of Carbon Dioxide Concentration: (Graph from Lonsdale revision guide) The rate of photosynthesis will rise as the carbon dioxide concentration increases, up until a certain point where the concentration of carbon dioxide will no longer be a limiting factor. Effect of Light Intensity: (Graph from Lonsdale revision guide) The rate of photosynthesis will rise as the light intensity
