BIOLOGY Gr-8 1.

Photosynthesis [2021 – 2022]

AL WADI INTERNATIONAL SCHOOL, JEDDAH

I – Term Notes

Name: ____________________________ Date: _________________

PHOTOSYNTHESIS:

❖ Animals eat food to get their energy. But green plants do not. Instead, they
make their own food-glucose, by a process called photosynthesis. So, we call
plants as Autotrophs.
❖ ‘Photo’ means to do with light. ‘Synthesis’ means ‘making’. So Photosynthesis
is a process by which plants make food, using energy from light.
✓ These are the requirements plants need for photosynthesis:

1. Carbon dioxide

2. Water

3. Light

✓ These are the products plants make by photosynthesis:

1. glucose
2. oxygen
❖ We can show photosynthesis in a word equation, where light energy is shown
in brackets because it is not a substance:

Carbon dioxide + Water (+ light energy) → Glucose + Oxygen + Water

❖ Definition: Photosynthesis is a process where plants use carbon dioxide and

water in the presence of sunlight to give glucose, oxygen and water.

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BIOLOGY Gr-8 1. Photosynthesis [2021 – 2022]

A. WHERE DO PLANTS GET RAW MATERIALS FOR PHOTOSYNTHESIS?

❖ Plants get carbon dioxide from the air through stomata by diffusion into their
leaves and water from the ground through their roots by osmosis. Light energy
comes from the sun.
❖ The oxygen produced is released into the air from the leaves through stomata.
❖ Plants use the food- glucose that they made in photosynthesis to make new
cells and tissues which forms the Biomass of plant. They also use it to produce
energy by Respiration.
B. WHERE DOES PHOTOSYNTHESIS TAKES PLACE?

❖ Photosynthesis takes place in structures (cell organelles) called Chloroplasts,

present inside leaf cells of plants.
❖ Chloroplasts contain a green substance pigment called chlorophyll, which
absorbs the light energy for photosynthesis. Chlorophyll gives green colour to
the leaves.

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BIOLOGY Gr-8 1. Photosynthesis [2021 – 2022]

C. THE STRUCTURE OF A LEAF

Waxy Cuticle A waxy layer on the leaf surface stops the leaf cells from
drying out and prevents entry of microorganisms into
leaf.
Upper Epidermis It protects the cells inside the leaf.

Palisade layer It is a layer of cells that do most of the photosynthesis.

Spongy mesophyll This later has lots of air spaces. The cells in spongy layer
layer do small amount of photosynthesis.
Vascular bundles They carry water, minerals and nutrients to the cells in a
leaf.
Lower epidermis It also protects the cells inside the leaf.

Stomata These are tiny holes present on the surface of leaf in the
lower epidermis. These holes let carbon dioxide from the
air get into the leaf.

Transverse section (T.S.) of a leaf

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BIOLOGY Gr-8 1. Photosynthesis [2021 – 2022]

D. ADAPTATIONS OF A LEAF FOR PHOTOSYNTHESIS:

ADAPTATION FUNCTION

To expose to the light

Large surface area
To absorb as much sunlight as possible.

Waxy cuticle Protection.

Thin structure To allow sunlight to penetrate easily.

To allow sunlight to penetrate easily.

Transparent upper epidermis (Presence of chloroplast would make it difficult
for sunlight to pass efficiently.)

Palisade cells oblong shaped Allow many cells to fit and perform
with lots of chloroplast Photosynthesis at a maximum rate.

Many Stomata on lower Exchange gases from air by diffusion.

epidermis Control rate of transpiration (loss of water).

Dense network of veins Carry water to every cell in the leaf.

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BIOLOGY Gr-8 1. Photosynthesis [2021 – 2022]

E. FATE (USES) OF GLUCOSE:

Glucose made in photosynthesis is used in several ways such as:

→ It can be converted into chemicals, such as cellulose for growth of plant cells.
→ It can be converted into storage molecules such as starch, oils, and fats.
→ It can be broken down during respiration, to release energy.
→ It makes proteins for growth and repair.

Uses of Glucose

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BIOLOGY Gr-8 1. Photosynthesis [2021 – 2022]

F. MINERALS:

Plants need a number of minerals to live healthy. Plants absorb these minerals
from the soil as salts along with water.

DEFICIENCY OF
ELEMENT WHY IT IS NEEDED
ELEMENT

Nitrogen To make proteins Poor growth, yellow leaves.

Sulphur To make proteins Poor growth, yellow leaves.

To make DNA and chemicals involved Poor growth, especially in

Phosphorus
in respiration roots.

Yellowing between veins of

Magnesium To make chlorophyll leaves.
(Chlorosis)

Potassium To keep correct salt balance for cells Mottled leaves

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BIOLOGY Gr-8 1. Photosynthesis [2021 – 2022]

G. THE UPTAKE OF MINERALS AND WATER:

• The function of the roots is to absorb water and minerals from soil. Water gets
into root hairs by osmosis.

• Osmosis is the diffusion of water molecules, from a region of higher

concentration to a region of lower concentration, through a partially permeable
membrane
• Transpiration is a process of removal of excess water from the surface of leaf
through stomata.
• Water is absorbed by the root hair moves up to the leaf through the xylem
vessels due to transpiration pull, so it is called as transpiration stream.

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BIOLOGY Gr-8 1. Photosynthesis [2021 – 2022]

H. INVESTIGATING PHOTOSYNTHESIS:

1. TEST FOR STARCH:

1. Take a leaf from a healthy plant; put it in boiling water taken in a beaker.
Leave for about 30 seconds. This will break cell wall.
2. Remove the leaf and put it into a boiling tube of alcohol kept in beaker with hot
water. This will remove all the chlorophyll out of the leaf. The leaf will now be
brittle.
3. Remove it from the alcohol and dip it into hot water to soften it.
4. Place the leaf in a white tile and cover it with iodine solution to detect starch. If
blue-black colour appears, it means the leaf contains starch.

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BIOLOGY Gr-8 1. Photosynthesis [2021 – 2022]

2. TEST: CHLOROPHYLL IS ESSENTIAL FOR PHOTOSYNTHESIS:

1. Take a potted plant with variegated (green and white/pale yellow) leaves.
2. Destarch the plant by keeping it in complete darkness for about 48 hours.
3. After that expose, the plant to the sunlight for a few hours.
4. Test one of the leaves for starch with iodine solution.
5. Areas with green patches test positive (turn blue black).
6. Areas (without green) pale yellow patches test negative (remain brown).

3. TEST: LIGHT IS ESSENTIAL FOR PHOTOSYNTHESIS:

1. Take a potted plant.
2. Destarch the plant by keeping it in complete dark for about 48 hours.
3. Fix one leaf of this plant in between two strips of a thick black
paper/aluminum foil as shown in the diagram below.
4. Place the plant in light for a few hours to let it photosynthesize.
5. Pluck out the leaf, remove the black paper from the leaf and do starch test.
6. The portion of the leaf exposed to light only will give positive starch test and
turns into blue/black colour.

Note:
The control for this experiment:
The other uncovered leaves of same
plant will be the control of this
experiment which will show positive
test for starch, and all the
Leaf turns blue/black.

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BIOLOGY Gr-8 1. Photosynthesis [2021 – 2022]

4. TEST: CARBON DIOXIDE IS ESSENTIAL FOR PHOTOSYNTHESIS:

1. Take two destarched potted plants.

(You can destarch a plant by keeping it in dark for about 48 hours)
2. Cover both the plants with bell jars and label them as a and b as shown below.
3. Inside Set-up a, keep KOH (Potassium hydroxide) and cover it with bell jars.
KOH absorbs and removes CO2 produced by respiration of plants.
4. Keep Set-up b it as it is without lid so CO2 gas can enter.
5. Keep both the set-ups in sunlight at least for 6-8 hours.
6. Finally pluck one leaf from each plant and perform the starch test on both
separately and compare.
7. Leaf from the plant kept with KOH will give negative test for starch meaning
blue/black colour does not appear.

The control for this experiment:

The setup “b” without KOH will be the control of this experiment. The leaf from this
plant will give positive test for starch and blue/black colour will appear.

Finally, it is concluded that carbon dioxide is essential for photosynthesis.

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BIOLOGY Gr-8 1. Photosynthesis [2021 – 2022]

5. TEST: OXYGEN IS MADE IN PHOTOSYNTHESIS.

How can we tell if a leaf is photosynthesising?

One of the simplest ways is to check if it is giving (releasing) oxygen gas. This is
easiest to do if the leaf is under water, because the oxygen gas makes bubbles in
water.

1. Take a beaker, fill it with water. Take a funnel and put a water plant in it and
invert it in the beaker.
2. Take a test tube filled completely with water and invert it on the funnel as
shown in the figure.
3. Leave the apparatus near a warm, sunny place for few hours.
4. You will see gas bubbles collecting in the test tube. When you have collected
about half a test tube of gas, you can test it to see if it is oxygen, as follows:
5. Carefully remove the test tube by putting your thumb over the opening,
allowing the water to run out, but not the gas.
6. Introduce a glowing splint into the tube.
7. If the gas is oxygen, it will make the glowing splint more vigorous.

The control for this experiment:

Set up the same experiment in a dark cupboard, for the same length of time. No gas
collects in the test tube which means plant did not photosynthesize.

Finally, it is concluded that oxygen is evolved during photosynthesis.

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BIOLOGY Gr-8 1. Photosynthesis [2021 – 2022]

I. LIMITING FACTORS IN PHOTOSYNTHESIS:

❖ Limiting factor is something present in the environment in such short supply

that it restricts life processes. Three factors that limit the rate of
photosynthesis are:

1. Light intensity

2. Carbon dioxide concentration

3. Temperature.

Maximizing growth

• Farmers use their knowledge of these limiting factors to increase crop

growth in greenhouses.
• They may use artificial light so that photosynthesis can continue beyond
daylight hours, or in a higher-than-normal light intensity.
• They use of paraffin lamps inside a greenhouse to increase the rate of
photosynthesis because the burning paraffin produces carbon dioxide, and
heat too.

1. EFFECT OF LIGHT INTENSITY ON THE RATE

OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS:
• Plants need light energy to carryout
photosynthesis to make the chemicals needed
to synthesize carbohydrates.
• Increasing the light intensity will increase the
speed of photosynthesis.
• However, after certain limit the rate of
photosynthesis remains constant even if light
intensity is increased as shown in the graph.

Experiment
• Following setup was made using pond weed Elodea
keeping constant temperature and constant supply of
CO2 (NaHCO3 was added for this).
• Light intensity was changed by changing distance of
the lamp from plant.
• As the distance decreased number of oxygen bubbles
formed per minute increased, but after a limit they
remained constant, showing rate of photosynthesis was also constant.

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BIOLOGY Gr-8 1. Photosynthesis [2021 – 2022]

2. EFFECT OF CARBON DIOXIDE ON THE RATE OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS:

When the concentration of CO2 is low the rate of photosynthesis will also be slow.
Increasing the concentration of CO2 increases the rate of photosynthesis. However,
after certain limit the rate of photosynthesis becomes constant even if the
concentration of CO2 increases as shown in the graph.
Experiment:

• Following setup was made using pond weed Elodea keeping constant
temperature and constant light intensity from a lamp.
• Supply of CO2 was changed by changing concentration of CO2 this was done by
adding different amounts of NaHCO3.

As the concentration of CO2 was increased number of oxygen bubbles formed per
minute also increased, but after a limit number of oxygen bubbles made per
minute remained constant, showing rate of photosynthesis was also constant.

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BIOLOGY Gr-8 1. Photosynthesis [2021 – 2022]

3. EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON THE RATE OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS:

As the temperature rises the rate of photosynthesis also rises. Anyhow, there is
an optimum temperature at which the rate of photosynthesis is maximum.
Beyond this temperature, the reaction starts decreasing and photosynthesis
eventually stops. Optimum temperature is usually around 40o C. Above this
temperature, the photosynthesis will decrease because enzymes denature.

Experiment

• Following setup was made using pond weed Elodea keeping constant light
intensity and constant supply of CO2.
• Temperature was changed by placing a heat shield around the plant.
• As the temperature increased number of oxygen bubbles formed per minute
also increased, but after a limit, number of oxygen bubbles started to
decrease and finally release of oxygen stopped.

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BIOLOGY Gr-8 1. Photosynthesis [2021 – 2022]

CONCEPT MAP FOR PHOTOSYNTHESIS

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