PHOTOSYNTHESIS

Presented in fulfilment of the requirements for Botany Laboratory 101

Ephraim Joash A. Gaganting

Student

Mrs. Sophia L. Bensali

Zoology 101 Laboratory Teacher

WESTERN MINDANAO STATE UNIVERSITY

Normal Road, Baliwasan 7000 Zamboanga City, Philippines

November 23, 2020

EXPERIMENTS:

Experiment 1: Testing for starch using iodine as an indicator (every student should do this
experiment).

Procedure:

1. Make a solution of starch and water. Note that starch is not soluble in water.
2. Transfer few drops of the starch/water solution in to a Petri dish and add a drop of iodine
to the mixture. Record the change of the color.
3. Put a drop of iodine on a piece of white printer paper. Record the change of the color.
4. Explain the changes.

Results:

Water Starch Water Starch Water Starch

Solution Solution Solution

Without Iodine Solution with Iodine Solution After few minutes with Iodine
Solution

Interpretation of Results

- After subjecting the two vials (water and starch solution), starch solution shows positive results due to the
Blue-Black color change that happened. The reaction is due to the formation of polyiodide chains from the
reaction of starch and iodine.
Experiment II: Importance of sun light for photosynthesis:

1. Record the results. Discuss the role of sunlight in photosynthesis?

Materials:

• A potted plant preferably with • Aqueous Iodine solution

wide leaves. • Petri dish
• Water bath • Forceps
• A large test tube • A piece of black paper
• Ethanol, or Isopropanol or • A pair of scissors and sticky tape
Methylated spirit • Paper clips

Procedure:

1. Begin the experiment by placing the potted plant in the dark for about 2-3days.
2. This step is essential in order to rid the plant of any starch that was formed in the leaves prior
to the start of the experiment.
3. At the end of this time period, remove the potted plant from the dark.
4. Cut a piece of black paper like so, and secure the cut end of the paper using a sticky tape.
5. To make this experiment a bit more interesting and fun, I’ve carved out my initial which is the
letter “T” as well on the black paper covering the leaf.
6. Cover both surfaces of one of the leaves using this piece of black paper like so, and secure the
paper on the leaf using some paper clips.
7. Now what we can see here is that the parts of the leaf covered by the black paper will continue
to remain in the dark.
8. Leave the potted plant in sunlight for several hours
9. Then, detatch the leaf from the plant and remove the black paper from the leaf
10. Now, introduce the leaf into the test tube containing the alcohol solution.
11. Place the tube in the boiling water bath to decolourise the chlorophyll pigments.
12. Once bleaching of the leaf has been accomplished, remove the leaf from the alcohol using a
forcep. Briefly place the leaf for a few seconds in the hot water bath in order to soften the leaf.
13. Transfer the leaf in a petridish containing iodine solution.
Results of experiment II:

- In the video, after a couple of minutes, it can be seen that the exposed parts of the leaf not
covered by the black paper turn blue black in color in the iodine solution. The part which
was covered by the black paper, however, do not show any significant change in color
except for a faint brown iodine color. This is a negative test for starch and also for
photosynthesis.

The simple experiment clearly demonstrates that light is an essential external component
for photosynthesis to take place in a plant.

Role of light in photosynthesis:

- Light is one of the raw materials needed for Photosynthesis. The process of photosynthesis
occurs when green plants use the energy of light to convert carbon dioxide (CO2) and water
(H2O) into carbohydrates. Light energy is absorbed by chlorophyll, a photosynthetic
pigment of the plant, while air containing carbon dioxide and oxygen enters the plant
through the leaf stomata.
Experiment III: Role of atmospheric Carbon dioxide in photosynthesis.

Note: For this experiment kindly visit this YouTube link as basis for the experiment. Note: For
this experiment kindly visits this YouTube link as basis for the experiment.

Materials:
• Two potted plants preferably of the • Forceps
same species and size • A pair of scissors and sticky tape
• Water bath • 2 small identical beakers, containing
• 2 large identical test tubes equal volumes of Potassium or
• 2 Petri dishes sodium hydroxide solution and
• Ethanol, or Isopropanol or distilled water respectively.
Methylated spirit • 2 large plastic bags or 2 identical bell
• Aqueous Iodine solution jars

Procedures:

1.) Begin the experiment by placing both the potted plants in the dark for about 2-3days to destarch
the plants.At the end of this time period, remove the potted plants from the dark.
2.) Place the beaker containing distilled water inside one of the pots and place the second beaker
containing potassium hydroxide in the other pot.
3.)Cover both the pots using the transparent plastic bags and seal the openings of the bags using
sticky tapes and leave the potted plants in sunlight for several hours
4.)Now, remove the plastic bags from the pots.
5.)Pluck a leaf of similar sizes from each of the two plants and introduce them into the two large
test tubes containing the alcohol solution. Give appropriate markings to the tubes.
6.)Place the tubes in the boiling water bath to decolorize the chlorophyll pigments in the leaves.
7.)Now, remove the leaves from the alcohol using a forceps. Briefly place the leaves for a few
seconds in the hot water bath in order to soften the leaves
8.)Transfer the leaves into the two petri-dishes containing iodine solution.

1. Record the results and explain your findings?

- After a couple of minutes, you’ll see that the leaf from the Control Plant has turned blue
black in color in the iodine solution, indicating that the control plant was carrying out
photosynthesis and forming starch in the leaves.

The leaf from the Test plant, however, do not show any significant change in color
indicating that the Test plant was unable to carry out photosynthesis due to lack of CO2.
 This simple experiment clearly demonstrates that carbon dioxide is an essential external
component for photosynthesis to take place in a plant.

2. Discuss the role of carbon dioxide in photosynthesis?

- Carbon dioxide is a key reactant in the process of photosynthesis, providing the carbon and
oxygen for glucose molecules via Calvin Cycle. The carbon atoms used to build
carbohydrate molecules comes from carbon dioxide, the gas that animals exhale with each
breath. The Calvin cycle is the term used for the reactions of photosynthesis that use the
energy stored by the light-dependent reactions to form glucose and other carbohydrate
molecules.
Question:

1. Construct your own experiment on the importance of light and carbon dioxide in
food production in plants.

Materials:

• A potted plant preferably with green • Plate

leaves. • Forceps
• Water bath • A piece of black paper
• A large test tube • A pair of scissors tape
• Ethanol (90% solution) • Paper clips
• Aqueous Iodine solution

Procedures:

1.Begin the experiment by placing the potted plant in the dark for about 2-3days.
2.This step is essential in order to rid the plant of any starch that was formed in the leaves prior to
the start of the experiment.
3.At the end of this time period, remove the potted plant from the dark.
4.Cut a piece of black paper like so, and secure the cut end of the paper using a sticky tape.
5.To make this experiment a bit more interesting and fun, I’ve carved out my initial which is the
letter “T” as well on the black paper covering the leaf.
6.Cover both surfaces of one of the leaves using this piece of black paper like so, and secure the
paper on the leaf using some paper clips.
7.Now what we can see here is that the parts of the leaf covered by the black paper will continue
to remain in the dark.
8.Leave the potted plant in sunlight for several hours
9.Then, detatch the leaf from the plant and remove the black paper from the leaf
10.Now, introduce the leaf into the test tube containing the alcohol solution.
11.Place the tube in the boiling water bath to decolourise the chlorophyll pigments.
12.Once bleaching of the leaf has been accomplished, remove the leaf from the alcohol using a
forcep. Briefly place the leaf for a few seconds in the hot water bath in order to soften the leaf.
13.Transfer the leaf in a petridish containing iodine solution.
Documentation:

Destarched Leaf subjected Leaf subjected to ethanol

to sunlight for 4 hours. (preparation for Chlorophyll
extraction)

Leaf inside the test tube with ethanol Leaf inside the test tube with ethanol
subjected to waterbath/warmbath for subjected to waterbath/warmbath
Chlorophyll extraction. shows negative results for chlorophyll
extraction.
 Leaf inside the test tube with ethanol Leaf subjected to Iodine Solution
subjected to waterbath/warmbath shows negative results for the present
shows negative results for chlorophyll of starch.
extraction and turned brown in color.

Results:

After a couple of minutes, you’ll see that the leaf from the Plant hasn’t turned blue black in color
in the iodine solution, indicating that the plant was carrying out photosynthesis but not forming
starch in the leaves. It is also being observe that the leaves turned brown in color and shows that
significantly the leaf is overcooked easily. The leaf used is not the typical leaf but the one that is
watery. My hypothesis is that the water inside the leaf or the water in the vacuole content is high
and upon boiling, the temperature of the water inside go significantly high too and thus, making
the leaf’s color go brown (overcooked or overkill) from the inside.

Upon boiling it in the test tube with 95% ethanol, there is no chlorophyll extracted that why there
is no starch in the leaves. The researcher suggests to choose other species of plant leaf to be
subjected to the experiment that has chlorophyll and don’t have a watery characteristic of the
leaves.