Section 3 - Plant Nutrition and Transport Flashcards
(46 cards)
Where does photosynthesis take place? (1)
Chloroplasts
What pigment do chloroplasts contain? (1)
Chlorophyll
What does chlorophyll do? (2)
- Absorbs sunlight
- Uses its energy for photosyenthesis
Word equation for photosynthesis? (2)
carbon dioxide + water —> glucose + oxygen
Symbol equation for photosynthesis? (2)
6CO2 + 6H20 —> C6H12O6 + 6O2
Label the parts {9)

1 - Waxy Cuticle
2 - Upper Epidermis
3 - Palisade
4 - Spongy Mesophyll
5 - Xylem
6 - Phloem
7 - Lower Epidermis
8 - Guard Cells
9 - Stoma
Why are leaves broad? (1)
- Large surface area exposed to light
Where are most chloroplasts found in a leaf and why? (3)
- Palisade layer
- So they are near the top of the leaf
- To get the most light
How is the upper epidermis adapted for efficent photosyenthesis (2)
- It is transparent
- So light can pass through it to the palisade layer
Why do leaves have a network of vascular bundles (4)
- These are the transport vessels xylem and phloem
- They deliver water and other nutriets to every part of the leaf
- They take away the glucose produced by photosyenthesis
- Help to support the leaf structure
What is the role of the waxy cuticle (1)
reduces water loss by evaporation
What are stomata and how do they make gas exchange/photosyenthesis more efficent (2)
- Stomata are little holes
- Let CO2 diffuse directly into the leaf
Name 3 factors affecting a plant’s rate of photosyenthesis (3)
- Light
- Amount of CO2
- Temperature of surrondings
Why does not enough light slow down the rate of photosyenthesis (3)
- Chlorophyll uses light energy to perform photosyenthesis
- It can only do it as quickly as the light energy is arriving
- If light intensity is increased, rate of photosyenthesis will steadily increase, up to a point
Why does too little carbon dioxide slow down photosyenthesis (2)
- Because it is a raw material needed for photosyenthesis
- Increasing conc of CO2 will increase rate of photosyenthesis up to a point
Why does this curve flatten out (2)

- Shows the amount of CO2 is not the limiting factor affecting photosyenthesis
- Limiting factor is temperature or light intensity or both
Describe the graph; how temperature affects rate of photosyenthesis (3)

- As the temperature increases, so does the rate of photosyenthesis, up to a point
- If the tempeature goes above roughly 45 degrees, enzymes will denature
- This means the rate of photosyenthesis rapidly decreases
Describe how to test a leaf for Starch? (5)
- Kill it by dunking it in boiling water (hold with tweezers)
- Put leaf in a boiling tube with ethanol
- Heat the tube in a water bath (gets rid of chlorophyll)
- Rinse the leaf in cold water and add a few drops of iodine
- If starch is present, leaf will go blue-black
Describe an experiement to show chlorophyll is needed for photosyenthesis (5)
- Use a variegated leaf that’s been exposed to light
- Record which parts are green and which aren’t (green parts contain chlorophyll)
- Test the leaf for starch (see other flashcard)
- Only the Green parts will turn blue-black
- Shows only parts that contained chlorophyll could photosyenthesise and produce starch
Describe an experiement to show CO2 is needed for photosyenthesis (5)
- Use a soda lime, sealed bell jar, plant and light source
- Soda lime will absorb CO2 out of the air in the jar
- Leave the plant for a day
- Test leaves for starch, won’t turn blue/black
- Shows no starch has been made in the leaf, means that CO2 is needed for photosyenthesis
Describe an experiement to show light is needed for photosyenthesis (4)
- Grow a plant without any light, e.g in a cupboard
- Cut a leaf and test for starch (see other flashcard)
- The leaf won’t turn blue/black, no starch present
- Shows light is needed for photosyenthesis, as no starch has been made
If a plant can’t photosyenthesise, it can’t produce ….. (1)
Starch
Describe an experiment to measure the effect of light intensity on the rate of photosyenthesis (7)
- Use canadian pondweed
- Faster it produces oxygen, faster the rate of photosyenthesis
- Source of white light is placed 30cm away from the pondweed
- Leave pondweed to photosyenthesise for 2 minutes
- Count no. of bubbles produced
- Control temperature, time
- Repeat with light source, 40cm, 50cm, 60cm and 70cm
If there aren’t enough mineral ions in the soil, plants suffer ………….. …………
deficiency symptoms
