What Is This Module About?

This module will focus on how green plants produce their food out of the raw materials they
get from the environment. Plants and certain kinds of microbes trap light energy, change it to
food energy and store it. We call this process photosynthesis (photo meaning “light” and
synthesis meaning “to make”). This module will explore how this process works.
Two lessons are included in this module. These are:
Lesson 1 – Food Production in Plants
Lesson 2 – Cellular Respiration

Wait!

Basic knowledge of two topics would be most useful for a clearer understanding of this
module. The topics are found in the modules The Cell: The Basis of Life and Leaves: The
Food Factory of Plants.

What Will You Learn From This Module?

After studying this module, you should be able to:

1. explain the process of food production in plants;
2. demonstrate the role of light in photosynthesis;
3. explain the process of cellular respiration; and
4. compare photosynthesis and cellular respiration.

1
 Let’s See What You Already Know

Before you start studying this module, check first how much you know about biology. Do
not worry about getting a low score. Just go on and do your best!
Write the letter of the correct answer in the blank.
_____ 1. Which among the following leaf parts is responsible for providing support
and strength to the leaf blade?
a. margin
b. base
c. apex
d. midrib

_____ 2. If you examine a cross section of a leaf, you will see many air spaces. What
is the primary function of these air spaces?
a. to increase the thickness of the leaf
b. to serve as cushion for the leaf
c. to trap light energy
d. to accommodate gases such as carbon dioxide and oxygen

_____ 3. In what specific part of the cell does photosynthesis take place?
a. mitochondria
b. chloroplasts
c. ribosomes
d. nucleus

_____ 4. Just like any other living thing, plants exchange gases with their surroundings.
What particular structure of the leaf has the same function as our nostrils?
a. hair
b. vein
c. cuticle
d. stomata

_____ 5. Which of the following is not necessary in photosynthesis?

a. carbon dioxide
b. oxygen
c. chloroplast
d. sunlight

_____ 6. In photosynthesis, a water molecule is split and a gas is released in the

process. What do you call this gas?
a. oxygen
b. nitrogen
c. hydrogen
d. methane

2
 _____ 7. Leaves do not always absorb all the wavelengths of light. Some are
reflected back. It is for this reason that we see their colors as they are.
Which among the following is an example of a light ray that is reflected
back?
a. blue light ray
b. green light ray
c. violet light ray
d. red light ray

_____ 8. In respiration, animals give off carbon dioxide. In which process will this gas
be used by plants?
a. reproduction
b. excretion
c. photosynthesis
d. respiration

_____ 9. The cell’s breakdown of energy in our body can be compared to:
a. burning of fuel
b. cooking rice
c. riding a tricycle
d. eating boiled kamote

_____ 10. What type of energy is produced in the process of cellular respiration?
a. light
b. electrical
c. heat
d. ATP (adenosine triphosphate)

Well, how was it? Do you think you fared well? Compare your answers with those in the
Answer Key on page 26.
If all your answers are correct, very good! This shows that you already know much about
the topics in this module. You may still study the module to review what you already know. Who
knows, you might learn some more new things as well.
If you got a low score, don’t feel bad. This module is for you. It will help you understand
some important concepts that you can apply in your daily life. If you study this module carefully,
you will learn the answers to all the items in the test and a lot more! Are you ready?
You may go now to the next page to begin Lesson 1.

3
 LESSON 1

Food Production in Plants

You may recall from the module Leaves: The Food Factory of Plants that the leaf is a
very important organ of the plant because it is in charge of food production. You have to know
the important parts of the leaf that are involved in food making. They are the chloroplasts,
chlorophyll, mesophyll layer, stomata, air spaces, spongy layer and the veins.

This lesson will introduce you to the process of food production in plants. Unlike animals,
plants are capable of producing their own food. Have you ever wished to become a plant? I
myself once wished I were a plant. Plants are self-nourishing so they need not worry about their
food for tomorrow. As long as the sun shines and the rain pours, life goes on for them.
Imagine yourself as a plant. What do your flowers and leaves need for life? What do they
need to stay healthy? Are rain and sunshine enough for their nourishment and growth? Find out as
we discuss the topic on food production in plants. After studying this lesson you should be able
to:
1. explain the process of food production in plants and
2. demonstrate the role of light in photosynthesis.

Let’s Try This

List down at least 10 materials from plants that you use in your daily life.
1. _________________________________________________________________
2. _________________________________________________________________
3. _________________________________________________________________
4. _________________________________________________________________
5. _________________________________________________________________
6. _________________________________________________________________
7. _________________________________________________________________
8. _________________________________________________________________
9. _________________________________________________________________
10. _________________________________________________________________

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 27.

4
 All human beings and animals depend on plants for food directly or indirectly. For example,
when you drink milk or eat meat, you are actually drinking and eating a converted plant material.
Thus, everything that you eat is either a plant material or is a derivation from it.
How do plants produce food in order to live?
If you remember, we used the term photosynthesis to describe how plants produce the
food they need to grow. In order for plants to perform photosynthesis they must have three things:
♦ raw or basic materials
♦ energy source
♦ catalyst or “helper”
Let us start our discussion with the basic or raw materials needed by plants such as carbon
dioxide, water and minerals.

The Basic or Raw Materials Needed in Photosynthesis

The first requirement for photosynthesis is the presence of essential raw or basic materials
such as carbon dioxide, water and minerals. These basic or raw materials are like the essential
ingredients needed to bake a cake or make your favorite dish. Without these materials,
photosynthesis can not take place, the plants will have no food and eventually will die of
starvation.
a. Carbon dioxide — Without this gas, plants will die. This is important in the
production of glucose. Do you still remember what happened to the house plants with
petroleum jelly? All the plants died due to lack of carbon dioxide and oxygen. Carbon
dioxide in the air mostly comes from animals through the process of cellular respiration.
b. Water — This supplies the hydrogen needed by plants during photosynthesis. It is
absorbed from the soil.
c. Minerals — Just like animals, plants also need complete food. Inorganic substances
such as magnesium, iron, nitrogen and phosphorus are examples of minerals that are
important in photosynthesis. These minerals are obtained by the plant from the
water.
A deficiency in one of these important minerals might result in abnormal growth of the
plants. For example, a deficiency in magnesium could result in yellowing of the leaves,
because magnesium is an important component of the chlorophyll pigment.

5
 Let’s Review

A. Answer the following questions.

1. What is the source of carbon dioxide that plants use in photosynthesis?
_____________________________________________________________
2. What is the role of water in photosynthesis?
_____________________________________________________________
B. Using the word equation below to represent the process by which raw materials are
used in photosynthesis, answer the following question:
Essential raw or
basic materials = carbon dioxide + water
for photosynthesis
What will happen if a plant is not able to get the following basic materials needed for
photosynthesis?
1. carbon dioxide
_____________________________________________________________
2. water
_____________________________________________________________
3. minerals
_____________________________________________________________
Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 27.

Let’s Think About This

You can grow plants without soil. This is true and is especially useful in
countries where there are deserts. A plant does not need soil for growth but
it needs certain minerals. The technology of growing plants without soil is
known as hydroponics.

6
 Let’s Learn

Light as Source of Energy

Now that we are through discussing the basic or raw materials in photosynthesis, let us talk
about the energy needed in photosynthesis. Can you imagine the earth without the sun? There will
be no life on earth without the sun. In a very real sense, each sunrise starts a new life! The basic
source of energy for life and for the whole planet is the sun and it is for free! We are very lucky
that we do not buy this energy. It is sunlight that powers the chemical reactions in every cell.
Plants directly depend on sunlight. Animals depend on the chemical energy found in the other
organisms that they eat. In one way or another, all energy can be traced back to sunlight. Do you
want to know how to check if light is necessary in photosynthesis?

Let’s Try This

Get two potted damong Maria or any other plant. Keep one plant in a dark place (maybe
inside a cabinet or under a sink). Place the other one under the sun. Do not forget to add the
same amount of water to these plants. Observe the plants for one week and compare the results.

Let’s Think About This

1. What happened to the plant inside the dark room?

_________________________________________________________________

2. What happened to the plant outside?

_________________________________________________________________

3. Why did this happen?

_________________________________________________________________

4. What can you conclude from this activity?

_________________________________________________________________

Compare your answers with those found in the Answer Key on page 27.
Chlorophyll
The third requirement for photosynthesis is the presence of chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is a
green pigment found in the chloroplasts which generally comprise the mesophyll layer. This is
where photosynthesis takes place. What is the role of this green pigment in photosynthesis?
Chlorophyll functions as a catalyst. A catalyst is a substance that speed up a chemical reaction
but is not a part of the reaction nor of the final product. Hence it is not consumed.

7
 Imagine two young men, Michael and Louis, having a friendly conversation. A third man,
Jeff, walks by and tells Michael that Louis tried to cheat during the exam. Jeff then walks away.
Michael and Louis have an argument. Jeff caused the argument to take place, but was not part of
the argument. Jeff was the catalyst.
Is this clear? I hope so. Get ready now as we continue our discussion.
The role of chlorophyll is to trap the energy of sunlight. It absorbs light energy from the sun
and uses it to start the chemical reaction of photosynthesis. Like Jeff in the example, chlorophyll
acts as a catalyst by helping start the process of photosynthesis. These green pigments are very
abundant along the mesophyll layer of the leaf composed of the palisade and the spongy layer.
You must remember that photosynthesis does not take place only in the leaves. It can also take
place in any other part of the plant as long as chlorophyll pigments are present.

carbon dioxide light energy

+
water

chloroplast
glucose
+
oxygen

How chlorophyll serves as a catalyst in the photosynthetic reaction

You can examine chloroplasts in living cells. Remember, chloroplast is one of the most
interesting parts of a plant cell.

Let’s Try This

If you have a microscope, look for some specimens such as hydrilla or elodea.
You may ask your facilitator, friends or parents about this. These are aquatic plants that
you usually put in an aquarium. Remove a single leaf from the plant, cut a very thin slice
off the leaf and examine it under the microscope. It is best to examine the sample after
exposing the plant to sunlight for around 30 minutes. Chloroplasts will be very visible.
These will appear as green, round bodies that go with the circulating movement of the
cytoplasm. There are about 30 chloroplasts in a single cell. Focus the microscope
under the low-power objective then shift to high-power objective.
If you don’t have a microscope, on the next page is a picture of the thin slice as
seen under a microscope.

8
 chloroplast

guard cell stoma

Cross section of a hydrilla leaf

Let’s Review

1. What do chloroplasts look like?

_________________________________________________________________
2. How many chloroplasts can you find in a single cell?
_________________________________________________________________
Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 28.

Let’s Learn

Let’s review the process of photosynthesis. This time we will compare it with preparing
hotcakes.
Imagine that you were asked by your mother to prepare hotcakes for her visitors. You have
to prepare them in a hurry. All you have to do is buy a hotcake mix, add water and an egg to it.
We can show what you did with a word equation like this one:

heat
hotcake mix + water + egg hotcakes

9
 Notice that in our example, the process is written as a balanced equation. That is, the
separate ingredients to the left of the arrow are equal to the total ingredients of the mixture to the
right of the arrow. To produce the hotcakes, baking with heat was necessary. The heat was the
catalyst and its function is the same as that of the chloroplasts. Since heat was not an ingredient of
the hotcake and did not enter the reaction, it is written above the arrow.
We can also state the reaction in photosynthesis by using a word equation:

Light energy
carbon dioxide + water glucose + oxygen
chlorophyll

Let’s Review

1. Let us go back to the recipe. Which represent the raw materials of photosynthesis?
_________________________________________________________________
2. Which is equivalent to the chlorophyll?
_________________________________________________________________
3. Which is equivalent to glucose or food?
_________________________________________________________________
Compare your answers with the Answer Key on page 28.

Let’s Remember

What are needed for photosynthesis?

Materials: carbon dioxide, water and minerals

Energy: light
Catalyst: chlorophyll

Let’s Think About This

The Products of Photosynthesis

We have seen that photosynthesis works like the manufacturing process in a food factory. It
produces the essential foods needed by plants to grow. Let’s now look more closely at the
products of photosynthesis.

10
Glucose
The basic product of photosynthesis is glucose, a simple carbohydrate or monosaccharide.
Some of this glucose is converted to larger carbohydrates (polysaccharides) — namely, starch
and cellulose — after some time. Starch may be stored in the cells of the plant to be used later as
the plant’s own source of food and energy. The carbohydrates may also become the growth
materials for the plant’s leaves, stems, roots, flowers, fruits and seeds.

Why are freshly harvested young corn

sweeter than freshly harvested mature
corn?

When corn is still young, most photosynthetic products present are glucose or simple sugar.
However, as the corn matures, glucose is converted to compound sugars, starch and cellulose,
which are not as sweet as the glucose found in a young corn. These compound sugars are stored
in the corn for future use.
Oxygen
Another product of photosynthesis is oxygen. Oxygen is actually a by-product of
photosynthesis. It can be compared to the smoke that comes out of the chimney of a factory.
Most of the oxygen in our surroundings come from plants. Oxygen passes from the plant to the
surroundings through the stomata. In the equation below, an arrow is set beside oxygen to
indicate that gas is evolved or released in the process.
Let us go back to our equation for photosynthesis:
light energy
carbon dioxide + water glucose + oxygen
chlorophyll

The products of photosynthesis, glucose and oxygen, are shown on the right side of the
equation. They came from the “ingredients” on the left side of the equation.

Do This Assignment
Let’s do a simple activity which will show that plants give off oxygen during
photosynthesis. Find a hydrilla or elodea plant. Cut the plant into pieces. Put the pieces
in a glass jar filled with water. Cover the glass jar and expose this to sunlight. Observe
and count the number of bubbles that come out each minute from the plants.

11
 Let’s Review

1. What do the bubbles in your experiment represent?

_________________________________________________________________
2. From what part of the leaf are these bubbles released?
_________________________________________________________________
Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 28.
Let us look again at the equation for photosynthesis. We can also represent this as a
chemical equation. This means using chemical symbols to represent the substances involved in the
process. Let us start from the left side of the equation. The equation says that in the presence of
light energy and chlorophyll, 6 (six) molecules of carbon dioxide (CO2) can combine with 6 (six)
molecules of water (H2O) to produce one molecule of glucose or sugar and six (6) molecules of
oxygen (O2).

light energy
6CO2 + 6 H2O C6H12O6 + 6O2
chlorophyll
6 molecules 6 molecules 1 molecule 6 molecules

In this chemical equation, those found on the left side are the reactants or raw materials
while those on the right side are the products of photosynthesis.

Let’s Remember

Photosynthesis is a chemical process that involves carbon dioxide,

water, energy and chlorophyll. Its products are glucose (a carbohydrate)
and oxygen (a gas).

Let’s See What You Have Learned

Identify what is being described in each number.

__________ 1. a gas needed in photosynthesis
__________ 2. a carbohydrate produced in photosynthesis
__________ 3. the gas released in photosynthesis
__________ 4. the part of the plant cell where photosynthesis takes place
__________ 5. the catalyst in photosynthesis
__________ 6. the source of the hydrogen released during photosynthesis

12
__________ 7. a substance that causes a chemical reaction to take place without itself
being a part of the reaction or the final product
__________ 8. the type of energy that comes from the sun
__________ 9. the process of growing plants without soil
__________ 10. substances that are essential in the growth of plants
Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 28.

Let’s Remember

♦ The raw materials for photosynthesis are carbon dioxide, water and minerals.
♦ Sunlight powers the chemical reactions in plant cells.
♦ Chlorophyll is the pigment needed for photosynthesis to take place. It serves as a
catalyst.
♦ A catalyst or “helper” is a substance that causes a chemical reaction to take place but
does not become a part of the reaction or the final product.
♦ Glucose is the primary product of photosynthesis.
♦ Oxygen is a by-product of photosynthesis. It comes from water molecules.

13
 LESSON 2
Cellular Respiration
(Getting Energy to Live)
Let’s now move on to the topic of what plants do with the food they produce. How useful is
the food produced by plants? Just how do living things make use of this food? At the end of this
lesson you should be able to:
1. explain the process of cellular respiration and
2. compare photosynthesis and cellular respiration.
Do you have a savings account? I guess many people do. In a way, the food produced in
photosynthesis is just like money deposited in a savings account. It is available anytime you need
it. However, organisms, whether self-nourished or not must be able to make withdrawals from
that savings account. That is, they must be able to release energy by breaking down food
particles. You may not only deposit, you may also withdraw anytime you like or need to.
Respiration in the body of plants and animals can be compared to this process.

Let’s Think About This

Do you know that every second in the life of a cell, nutrients

are being broken down to release energy?

Let’s Learn

What Is Cellular Respiration?

14
 Before we start this lesson, I would like to remind you not to confuse respiration with
breathing. Some might think that respiration and breathing are the same. Let us look at how they
differ. Breathing is the natural process of taking air in and out of the body. Only vertebrates
who have lungs or gills — such as fishes, sharks and mammals like us — breathe. Can you give
other examples of animals that breathe? Plants and other microscopic organisms do not breathe.
All organisms, however, respire. Respiration is the chemical process of breaking down food into
simpler forms in order to get energy. That is, all organisms must break down food in each of their
cells to release energy.

Let’s Remember

All living things respire but not all living things breathe.

Let’s Review

1. Name at least 5 organisms that breathe.

a. _____________________________________________________________

b. _____________________________________________________________

c. _____________________________________________________________

d. _____________________________________________________________

e. _____________________________________________________________

2. Differentiate breathing from respiration.

_________________________________________________________________

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 28.

The process of releasing energy stored in carbohydrate molecules is called cellular

respiration. In this process, cells use a series of chemical reactions to break down food to
release energy. It is called cellular respiration because the process takes place inside the cell.
Humans may use food such as camote, cassava, ube, fish and meat. Animals use foods from
plants and other animals. Despite the differences in diets, all living things use the same basic food
for energy. Do you recall the role of glucose? It is the source of energy for the plant. Most foods
can be reduced to the building block of carbohydrates that is glucose. Glucose is then broken
down and stored as energy.

15
The Role of Oxygen in Respiration
The process of releasing energy stored in food inside the cell is similar to burning a piece of
wood or any other fuel. While burning, wood rapidly combines with oxygen in the air. The smoke
produced contains carbon dioxide. Water and heat energy are also produced. The reaction can
be represented by this equation:

Organic material
in wood + oxygen water + carbon dioxide + energy

We can compare the burning of wood to the “burning” of food in cellular respiration.

Let’s Try This

Try to fill up the table below and compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on
page 28.

Process Raw Materials Products Formed

Burning of wood

“Burning” of food

The picture of the burning wood shows that organic materials and oxygen combine or react
chemically, forming water and carbon dioxide and at the same time releasing energy. The energy
released from the burning wood is in the form of light and heat energy. You will note this when
you move close to a fire. The energy released in the “burning” of food comes from a molecule
called adenosine triphosphate (ATP). This is considered as the energy “currency” of the cell.
This is the energy that powers all the activities of a living organism. Is the similarity between
burning wood and cellular respiration now clear?

16
 Let’s Try This

Based on our discussion, you will note that oxygen is very important in cellular respiration.
The following activity is designed for you to find out if oxygen is really important in respiration.
1. Place a candle inside a jar. Light the candle and immediately cover the jar. Using a
watch or clock, find out how long the flame lasts. Record the time.
2. Put a small potted plant inside a jar. Light the candle and immediately cover the jar.
Using a watch or clock, find out how long the flame lasts. Record the time.

Let’s Review

1. What happened to the lighted candle in the closed jar?

_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
2. What happened to the lighted candle in the jar with a potted plant?
_________________________________________________________________
_________________________________________________________________
Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 29.

Let’s Think About This

Humans can live for sixty days without food, thirty days
without water and only around five minutes without air.

17
The Energy Produced in Respiration
Heat is another form of energy produced during respiration. The giving off of heat can be a
proof that a creature is alive. A seed is a living thing. If you try to soak seeds, respiration
produces the energy for the seed to grow. The simple activity below will show whether
respiration produces energy. Get ready with the materials. You will do this for 3 to 4 hours.

Let’s Try This

1. Soak 100 munggo beans overnight and put these inside a bottle. Label the
bottle A.

2. Place 100 dry mungo beans in another bottle and label the bottle B.

3. Cover the mouths of the bottles with cotton. Insert a thermometer in each
bottle. (See the picture below.)

Bottle A Bottle B

4. In your notebook, draw a data table similar to this:

Time Soaked beans (°C) Dry beans (°C)

5. Record the temperature in each bottle every half hour for 3 to 4 hours. Refer to
the Answer Key on page 29 for possible temperature readings.
In case a thermometer is not available, just try to feel if bottle A is warmer
than bottle B.

18
 Let’s Think About This

1. In the activity, what was the evidence that respiration was taking place?
_________________________________________________________________
2. What caused the heat energy in the soaked beans?
_________________________________________________________________
3. What was the trend of the temperature of the soaked beans? Why?
_________________________________________________________________
4. Why was there no change in the temperature of the dry munggo beans?
_________________________________________________________________
Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 29.

A cell does not consume its fuel in the same way that wood is burned. A cell is able to
“burn” its fuel at a lower temperature, release the energy more gradually, and store it in another
molecule which is ATP. The energy in glucose has to be converted first into ATP before it can be
used by the cell.
In the previous activity, the increase in temperature proved that energy was being released
by the seeds.
Comparing Photosynthesis and Respiration

glucose + O2

CO2 + water

Cells of the corn plant undergo both photosynthesis and respiration.

Let us start our discussion by comparing the two processes, photosynthesis and
respiration. These processes take place separately in plant cells. Photosynthesis takes place in
the chloroplasts of a plant cell, while respiration takes place in the mitochondria. The
mitochondria of the cell can be compared to a powerhouse just like the National Power
Corporation, which supplies energy to industries and households. The more houses and industries
there are, the more electricity has to be produced. A cell may have several of these mitochondria
depending on its type. The busier the cell is, the more mitochondria it has. Take a closer look at
the diagram of a plant cell on the next page. Locate the chloroplasts and the mitochondria. How
do they look?
19
 Mitochondrion

Chloroplast

A composite plant cell

Photosynthesis can be compared to building a house or doing house chores. You need a lot
of energy to do them. In photosynthesis, light energy is used in order to produce food. It is a
building process. Respiration, on the other hand, is the opposite of photosynthesis. It is not a
building process but a breakdown process. The food produced is utilized to supply energy to the
cell. For example, when you eat food, some are stored as potential energy. During respiration,
energy is released from the glucose in the food you ate. The energy that is released from glucose
becomes kinetic energy. This is the energy of motion. Now, let us compare photosynthesis and
respiration using chemical and word equations.

PHOTOSYNTHESIS AND RESPIRATION

Photosynthesis is the process by which energy is built up and stored in glucose.

light energy
carbon dioxide + water glucose + oxygen

chlorophyll
6CO2 + 6H2O C6H12O6 + 6O2
Respiration is the process by which energy is released from glucose.
glucose + oxygen carbon dioxide + water + energy (ATP)
C6H12O6 + 6O2 6CO2 + 6H2O + energy

Try to compare the two reactions. They are opposites, aren’t they? But are they related?
Well, yes. They depend on each other. Photosynthesis needs energy to build up the food while
respiration releases the energy, which could be taken from the food. Notice that in
photosynthesis, carbon dioxide and water are used to produce glucose or food. The gas that is
released after the photosynthesis is oxygen; in respiration it is carbon dioxide. On the other hand,
respiration uses this glucose to produce carbon dioxide and water.

20
 Let’s Try This

Photosynthesis is the building up of food, while respiration is the breaking down of this food
in order to produce energy. This energy is used by the cell in all its activities. These activities
include movement, transport, contraction, cell division, reproduction, and others. The key,
therefore, to the processes of photosynthesis and respiration is energy. Energy is built up and
stored during photosynthesis, but is broken apart and released during respiration. Try to
complete the table below. You will compare photosynthesis and respiration. This will show if you
really understood the lesson.
A. Comparison of Photosynthesis and Respiration
Basis of comparison Photosynthesis Respiration
1. What are the raw
materials?
2. What are the
products?
3. What forms of
energy are involved?

4. In what part of the

cell does it take place?

5. Is the energy needed

or released in the process?

6. Is it performed by plants,
animals or both?

B. Based on our discussion, try to answer these questions:

1. Why are photosynthesis and respiration considered opposite processes?
_________________________________________________________________

2. Which one could we consider a building or “constructive” process? Which one is a

breakdown or “destructive” process? Why?
_________________________________________________________________

3. Why must cells be supplied with energy?

_________________________________________________________________

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 30.

21
Let’s Remember

♦ Breathing and respiration are not the same.

♦ All living things respire.
♦ Cellular respiration takes place in the mitochondria.
♦ Breathing is a natural process of taking air in and out of the body.
♦ Respiration is a chemical process of breaking down food to produce energy.
♦ The burning of wood and “burning” of food are similar processes.
♦ ATP is the form of energy produced in cellular respiration.
♦ The chloroplast is the site for photosynthesis in plants.
♦ In the burning of wood, light and heat energy are produced.

Let’s See What You Have Learned

A. Match the items in Column A with those in Column B. Write the letters only.
A B
_____ 1. the powerhouse of the cell a. breathing
_____ 2. the type of food produced in b. light and heat
photosynthesis
c. carbon dioxide
_____ 3. the gas given off in respiration
d. glucose
_____ 4. the types of energy produced in
e. oxygen
burning wood
f. heat
_____ 5. the natural process of taking air
in and out of the body g. chloroplast
_____ 6. the breakdown of food to h. energy
produce energy
i. respiration
_____ 7. the gas used in respiration
j. ATP
_____ 8. the part of the cell where
photosynthesis takes place k. mitochondria

_____ 9. the ability to do work

_____ 10. energy-carrying molecule

22
 B. Write True if the statement is correct and False if it is incorrect.
_____ 1. All living things respire.
_____ 2. Photosynthesis is similar in all aspects to respiration.
_____ 3. The burning of fuel like gasoline is similar to burning of food.
_____ 4. In respiration, heat is released.
Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on pages 30–31.
Congratulations! You finally made it! You have reached the end of the module. I hope the
module helped you gain a lot of knowledge.

Let’s Sum Up

This module tells us that:

The raw materials for photosynthesis are carbon dioxide, water, and minerals.

Sunlight powers the chemical reactions in every cell.

Chlorophyll is the pigment needed for photosynthesis to take place. This serves as a
catalyst.

A “catalyst” or helper is a substance that causes a chemical reaction to take place, but
does not become a part of the reaction or the final product.

Glucose is the primary product of photosynthesis.

Oxygen is a by-product of photosynthesis. It comes from water molecules.

23
 What Have You Learned?

From the choices given after each statement, choose the correct answer by encircling the
letter.
1. If you study the cross-section of a leaf, you will observe the presence of
elongated cells filled with chloroplasts. What do you call this layer?
a. epidermal layer
b. veins
c. palisade layer
d. none of the above

2. In plants, loss of water is great when the weather is hot. What part of the plant
protects it from drying up?
a. hairs
b. stomata
c. cutin
d. epidermis

3. Animals can not produce their own food due to the absence of pigments which
are found only in plants. What do you call these pigments?
a. melanin
b. phycoerythrin
c. fucoxanthin
d. chlorophyll

4. In plants, transport of substances is made possible through the help of transport

tissues. Which of the following are examples of transport tissues in plants?
a. midrib
b. petiole
c. veins
d. base

5. Through photosynthesis, plants produce organic materials, which are used by

most living things. What do you call these organic substances?
a. proteins
b. fats
c. carbohydrates
d. none of the above

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 6. Aside from heat, what form of energy is derived from the sun?
a. mechanical
b. light energy
c. chemical energy
d. sound energy

7. Organic substances produced in photosynthesis may be used by plants to produce

energy. What do you call the process of breaking down complex substances to their
simplest form in order to derive energy?
a. respiration
b. excretion
c. digestion
d. circulation

8. Which among the following is a by-product of respiration?

a. oxygen
b. carbon dioxide
c. nitrogen
d. sulfur

9. Which of the following terms refers to the breakdown of glucose in order to form
ATP?
a. photosynthesis
b. photolysis
c. cellular respiration
d. cellular reproduction

10. What do you call a substance that starts a chemical reaction without itself becoming a
part of the reaction and final product?
a. catalyst
b. reactant
c. accelerator
d. product

Compare your answers with those in the Answer Key on page 31.
If you got a score of 8 to 10, that’s very good. It means that you have learned a lot from
this module.
If your score is 7 or lower, you need to study the module again.

25
 Answer Key
A. Let’s See What You Already Know (pages 2–3)
1. (d) The midrib is the structure that gives support to the blade of the leaf. The
others are also external of a leaf but they do not provide support.
2. (d) The function of air spaces is to accommodate gases such as carbon dioxide
and oxygen.
3. (b) Photosynthesis takes place in the chloroplasts. Mitochondria (a) serves as a
power supplier, ribosomes (c) are for protein synthesis and the nucleus (d) is the
control center of the cell.
4. (d) Stomata serve as openings where gases pass in and out of the cell.
5. (b) Oxygen is not a raw material in photosynthesis. It is a by-product. The other
choices, a, c and d are the raw materials in the process.
6. (a) The source of oxygen in photosynthesis is the hydrolysis of water molecule
and not hydrogen. The other gases such as nitrogen and methane are not
components of water.
7. (b) Green light rays are not absorbed by the chloroplasts and are transmitted
back to the human eye. This is the reason why we see leaves as green. The other
light rays such blue, orange and red are absorbed.

8. (c) Carbon dioxide is a raw material in photosynthesis. The other organ systems
do not use carbon dioxide as a raw material. They have different functions in the
body of the plant.
9. (a) The other processes do not involve the direct use of energy through the
process of respiration.
10. (d) ATP is the specific type of energy released by the cells in the process of
cellular respiration. This is used in performing functions such as movement,
reproduction, and cell division.

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B. Lesson 1
Let’s Try This (page 4)
Materials from plants that we use in our daily activities:
1. clothes
2. chopping board
3. wooden bed
4. wooden table
5. soap
6. shampoo
7. wooden chair
8. ink
9. hair conditioner
10. filing cabinet

(The above answers are sample answers only. You may have other answers. If you do,
refer them to your Instructional Manager or Facilitator for correction.)
Let’s Review (page 6)
A. 1. The carbon dioxide utilized during photosynthesis comes from animals and
microbes.
2. Water serves as the source of hydrogen that is used in the process of
photosynthesis. Oxygen released in photosynthesis also comes from water.

B. 1. Carbon dioxide — the plant will not be able to produce food, so it will die.
2. Water — the plant will not have a source of hydrogen, so it cannot
photosynthesize and will die.
3. Minerals — the plant can not grow normally due to a deficiency in nutrients.

Let’s Think About This (page 7)

(The following observations will be noted if the activity was done in accordance with
the instructions)
1. Damong Maria plants kept in the dark became thin and pale in color.
2. The one left outside under the sun was healthy and dark green in color.
3. Plants left in the dark room could not perform photosynthesis due to lack of
sunlight. So, it became pale in color. The one outside grew healthy.
4. The conclusion then would be: Plants need sunlight in order to grow.

27
 Let’s Review (page 9)
1. Chloroplasts look like greenish coins circulating inside the plant cells.
2. There may be around 30 chloroplasts in a single plant cell.

Let’s Review (page 10)

1. In the word equation, the hotcake mix, water and egg represent the raw materials
of photosynthesis, carbon dioxide and water.
2. Heat is equivalent to chlorophyll.
3. The baked hotcake is equivalent to the food or glucose produced.

Let’s Review (page 12)

1. The bubbles represent oxygen released during photosynthesis.
2. Oxygen came out from the stomata of the leaf.

Let’s See What You Have Learned (pages 12–13)

1. carbon dioxide 6. water
2. glucose 7. catalyst
3. oxygen 8. light
4. chloroplasts 9. hydroponics
5. chlorophyll 10. minerals

C. Lesson 2
Let’s Review (page 15)
1. The following are some of the possible answers: stingray, elephant, frog, catfish,
toad, bird, cat, lamprey.

2. Breathing is the natural process of taking in air and releasing it, while
respiration is the chemical process of producing energy out of the food that
organisms take.
Let’s Try This (page 16)
Comparison between burning of wood and “burning” of food:

Process Raw Materials Products Formed

Burning of wood Wood or organic Carbon dioxide
matter and oxygen energy and water

“Burning” of food Glucose and oxygen Carbon dioxide

energy and water

28
Let’s Review (page 17)
1. The lighted candle burned for a short while and then the flame went out. There was no
more oxygen because the jar was covered.
2. The candle kept burning for a longer time because there was a source of oxygen —
the plant. Plants give off oxygen in the process of photosynthesis.

Let’s Try This (page 18)

A. The following are possible temperature readings:
Time Soaked beans (°C) Dry beans (°C)
After 30 minutes 30 °C 29 °C
1 hour 30.5 °C 29 °C
1.5 hours 31°C 29 °C
2 hours 32°C 29 °C
2.5 hours 32.5°C 29 °C
3 hours 32.5°C 29 °C

Let’s Think About This (page 19)

1. The increase in temperature showed that respiration was taking place.
2. The release of ATP by the cells caused the increase in the temperature of soaked
beans.
3. There was an increasing trend in the temperature of the soaked beans.There was
respiration going on in the soaked beans.
4. There was no change in temperature since the dry beans were not germinating or
respiring.

29
Let’s Try This (page 21)
A. Comparison of Photosynthesis and Respiration
Basis of comparison Photosynthesis Respiration
1. What are the raw carbon dioxide glucose
materials? water oxygen
minerals
2. What are the glucose carbon dioxide
products? oxygen water

3. What forms of light energy heat energy

energy are involved?

4. In what part of the chloroplast mitochondria

cell does it take place?

5. Is the energy needed needed released

or released in the process?

6. Is it performed by plants, plants both

animals or both?

B. 1. They are considered opposite, because one produces food (photosynthesis)

while the other one utilizes food (respiration).
2. Photosynthesis can be considered “constructive,” since more reserved food is
produced while respiration is the use of this food.
3. A cell must be supplied with energy for it to live and do all its activities,
otherwise, it can not work.

Let’s See What You Have Learned (pages 22–23)

A. 1. k 6. i
2. d 7. e
3. c 8. g
4. b 9. h
5. a 10. j

30
B. 1. True. All living things break down food in order to get energy.

2. False. It is the exact opposite. Photosynthesis is food production, while

respiration is food utilization.

3. True. Both involve the breakdown of organic substance to produce energy.

4. True. This is an indicator that respiration is going on.

D. What Have You Learned? (pages 24–25)

1. (c) Most photosynthetic activities take place in the palisade layer. The other parts
are not provided with chloroplasts such as the spongy layer and the veins.
2. (c) Cutin protects the leaf from excessive loss of water. The other parts such as
hair, stomata and epidermis are not related to water loss in plants.
3. (d) These are the pigments that are directly involved in trapping light energy in
green plants. The other pigments are only accessory pigments dominant in lower
forms of plants.
4. (c) Veins are examples of transport tissues. They are the vascular bundles that
transport nutrient substances to the different parts of the plants.
5. (c) Carbohydrates are the most abundant product of photosynthesis. The other
organic substances are not produced in photosynthesis.
6. (b) Light is the primary source of energy used by plants.This maybe converted
into other forms such as heat, chemical, and sound energy.
7. (a) Respiration is the breakdown of big organic molecules into simpler forms in
order to form energy. The other processes are involved in other functions such as
distribution of gases and excretion of wastes.
8. (b) Carbon dioxide is a by-product of respiration in living things. This is used by
the plants as raw material in photosynthesis. The other gases are not released
during photosynthesis.
9. (c) Cellular respiration is the process where food is used in order for the body to
produce energy.
10. (a) The answer is catalyst. (b) reactant refers to the material needed before a
reaction occurs; (c) acceleration is the process of speeding up an action; (d)
product refers to the material produced in a reaction; .

31
 Glossary

Carbohydrate A group of carbon compounds including sugar, starch, and cellulose.

Catalyst Any molecule that increases the rate of a chemical reaction without being used up
in the process. They are primarily protein molecules known as enzymes.
Cellular respiration Independent metabolic process by which cells derive energy (ATP)
from glucose and other fuel molecules.
Enzyme A member of the class of proteins that catalyze chemical reactions.
Glucose A six carbon monosaccharide which is a universal cellular fuel.
Mineral An inorganic element or compound usually needed by the plants.
Mitochondria Cellular organelles specialized to harvest energy from food molecules and
store that energy in ATP.
Photosynthesis A metabolic process in which light energy is converted to chemical energy
stored in chemical compounds. This takes place in plants, algae and certain bacteria
and protists.
Pigment A natural coloring in plants which absorbs light.
Respiration The process by which organisms exchange gases with the environment.

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 References

Balzer, L. and P.L. Goodson. Introduction to Biology. Glenview, Illinois: Scott, Foresman
and Company, 1986.
Daniel, L., E. Ortleb, and Biggs Alton. Merill Life Science. New York: Macmillan/Mc
Graw Hill, 1994.
Mauseth, James T. Botany. Florida, USA: Harcourt Brace and Company, 1996.
Miller, K. R. Biology. Massachusetts: Prentice Hall, 1991.
Stern, K. R. Introductory Plant Biology. USA: Wm. C. Brown Publishers, Inc., 1994.
Wong, H. K. and M. Dolmatz. Biology: The Key Ideas. Toronto: Globe Book Company,
Inc., 1986.

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