Investigation into the effect of Light Intensity on Photosynthesis.

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Investigation into the effect of Light Intensity on

Photosynthesis        by Dominic Mulley

Introduction

Photosynthesis is the process that produces ‘food’ in plants. The ‘food’ that it produces is called glucose. Photosynthesis takes place in the leaves of all green plants. Leaves are especially to make photosynthesis:

  • Leaves are thin and flat to provide a large surface area to absorb as much sunlight as possible.
  • The palisade cells are near the top of the leaf and are packed with chlorophyll.
  • Guard cells control the movement of gases into and out of the leaf. They line the bottom of the leaf.

An equation can be demonstrated to show how a plant produces photosynthesis and what substances it uses:

Carbon        +        Water        +        Sunlight        Glucose + oxygen        

Dioxide                Chlorophyll

6CO2        +        6H2O        +        Sunlight        C6H12O6 + 6O2 

                        Chlorophyll

The rate of photosynthesis depends on light intensity, carbon dioxide and temperature. Sometimes increasing these factors has little or no effect. This is because one of the other factors is so low that it limits the rate of photosynthesis. Scientists call this the limiting factor.

Chlorophyll in green leaves uses light energy to perform photosynthesis. It can only do it as fast as the light energy is arriving. Chlorophyll only actually absorbs the red and blue ends of the visible light spectrum, but not the green light in the middle, which is reflected back. This is why the plant looks green

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CO2 are the raw materials. There is hardly ever a shortage of supply of water in a plant but only 0.03% of the air around is CO2 so it’s actually pretty scarce as far as plants are concerned.

Chlorophyll is like an enzyme in that it works best when it’s warm – about 25-37°C. But if it exceeds that limit the chlorophyll enzymes work slower and at 45°C they die off, photosynthesis can no longer take place.  

Aim

My aim is to prove that the rate of photosynthesis of the pondweed increases with ...

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