Title: Investigating the effect of limiting factors on the rate of photosynthesis.

Introduction:

Photosynthesis is the physiological process through which green plants prepare their own
food. Plants are termed as autotrophs. Sunlight is the source of their energy. It is captured in the
green coloured pigments known as chlorophyll. Chlorophyll molecules are found in the cellular
organelles called chloroplasts. Chloroplast are not exclusive to plants even some of the bacteria
and algae have it. The raw materials required for the process of photosynthesis are Light,
chlorophyll and carbon dioxide. Any factor or material, which is deficient or in limited supply then
it, dictates the rate of the reaction of photosynthesis, is termed as limiting factor.

Factors influencing the rate of photosynthesis:

Temperature: It is a positive regulator of the photosynthesis. Increase in the temperature

increases the rate as it directly increases the energy of the molecules. Enzymes in the plant cells
also work with higher speed until a certain amount of temperature. Beyond a threshold limit the
enzymes also known as biological catalysts get degraded decreasing the level of photosynthesis.

Light: Intensity of light is measured in lux. A higher intensity of light increases the rate at
which photosynthesis is carried out. The pigment molecules absorb the energy from the photons
and transfer it to the electrons. The light energy is fixed into the form of chemical energy. Extreme
light intensities often send the photosynthetic apparatus into overdrive and shut it down.

Carbon dioxide: The carbon available in this form is fixed into the complex carbohydrate
form i.e., glucose and thereby starch. Increase in the levels of carbon dioxide always increases the
level of photosynthesis and unlike other factors there is no knowledge on how higher levels of
carbon dioxide can hamper the photosynthesis.

Chlorophyll: The green pigment molecules situated in the thylakoid membrane are specially
designed structures in the chloroplasts to trap the sunlight. The centres involved in this process are
called as photosystems. There are two photosystems II & I.

Water: This component contributes to the release of oxygen by splitting during

photosynthesis, into the atmosphere unlike the believed carbon dioxide. When the water levels are
low, the stomata (pores in the underside of the leaf) close reducing the availability of carbon
dioxide. The guard cells surrounding stomata absorb water and swell up to open the stomata.

Limiting factor: For any reaction to proceed without interruption all the materials are
required in adequate quantities. Lack of any reactant or deficiency of temperature, light, carbon
dioxide , water, presence of any disease decides the level of photosynthesis.

Experiment:

In this experiment, we are investigating the effect of a limiting factor on the rate of
photosynthesis. A variable is a quantity whose values changes over time in an experiment.
Constants are the quantities whose values are regulated and maintained same. Temperature is being
changed in this case and is termed as independent variable. The rate of reaction is termed as
dependant variable. It is difficult to directly define and quantify the rate of reaction and hence
either the loss of the reactants of the production of the products is noted to identify the rate.

Photosynthetic equation:

Carbon dioxide + Water ----> Glucose + oxygen

The products in photosynthesis are water and oxygen. Water is in liquid form and the
gaseous and measureable product is oxygen.

Steps:

Materials:

1. Elodea
2. 20mm² syringe
3. Capillary tubing
4. Stand
5. Stopwatch
6. Ruler
7. NaHCO³ Solution
8. Bench lamp
9. Distilled water

Methods:
 Results:

Limitations:

1. ome of the oxygen give off is used for respiration by the plant.
2. Some of the oxygen dissolved into the water.
3. Some was used by small invertebrates that were found living within the pieces of elodea.
4. The higher light intensities should be quite accurate but the smaller light intensities would
be less accurate because the light spreads out. the elodea will also get background light from
other experiments.
5. The lights are also a source of heat which will affect the experiments with only a small
distance between the light and the syringe. this heating could affect the results.
6. Using the same piece of elodea for each experiment was impractical as the elodea's
photosynthesis rate decreased over time. By using a different piece of elodea for each
experiment did create the problem of it being impossible for each piece to have the same surface
area.
7. As the tests took place over a two day period there will be some inaccuracy caused by
factors such as temperature. There was no practical way for the long tests to be kept at a totally
constant temperature for the two day period and they will probably have cooled down at night
and then warmed up in the day leading to a slight inaccuracy.

Conclusion:

1. It could be repeated more times to help get rid of any anomalies. A better overall result
would be obtained by repeating the experiment more times because any errors in one
experiment should be compensated for by the other experiments.
2. Each person should have done their experiments in a different room to cut out all
background light.
3. All the experiments should be done sequentially.
4. A perspex screen could have been placed between the light and the syringe to reduce any
heating effect that the light may have.
5. The experiment could have been carried out with higher NaHCO3 to see if increasing the
concentration would increase the rate of photosynthesis, or if a concentration of 0.1M NaHCO3
produces the maximum rate of photosynthetic reaction.

References: