Photosynthesis and Respiration Test Questions

1. An alien race is bent on the destruction of humanity. To do so, they

have fired a weapon at the Sun that has changed the color of light that
the Sun shines on Earth. Instead of the normal white light, the Sun now
only gives off green light! We’re doomed!
What effect will this change to the Sun’s light have on the plants on
earth and why are we now doomed as a species? (EXTRA CREDIT) ->
What is something we humans could do to avoid or inevitable
extinction?

2. Respiration is a biological function that you use every second of

every day to keep yourself alive. This process requires you to regularly
refresh your supply of oxygen, as oxygen is a key ingredient in this
chemical process. If your ability to get oxygen is hindered or
interrupted, bad things can happen to you.
Why exactly is it bad if your supply of oxygen is interrupted? (Be as
specific as possible.) What function does oxygen serve in the chemical
process of respiration? If you are trapped in a sealed environment
(airtight freezer, sunken boat underwater, etc) why do you eventually
run out of breathable oxygen? (EXTRA CREDIT) -> What kind of living
thing could you have with you in a sealed environment to help prevent
you from running out of oxygen?
3. Plant leaves are organized in a specific, functional way. Stomata are
located on the underside of the leaf and photosynthesis happens in the
cells on the topside of the leaf. The leaf is connected to the rest of the
plant by a central vein. All of these features work together to complete
the leaf’s job, which is to turn sunlight and air into sugar.
What qualities does our beautiful home (Earth) possess that have
influenced the way leaves are structured? How does the behavior of a
leaf change between day and night? What is one way plants have
adapted to environmental needs (name an environmental condition
and the plant adaptation related to that condition)? (EXTRA CREDIT) –>
A typical fully-grown Redwood tree weighs about 50,000lbs, but started
its life as a tiny little sapling. Where did all of the matter come from as
the tree grew?

4. The leaves of plants contain many different pigments. Some

pigments are considered primary, while the others are considered
accessory pigments. The pigments within a leaf change as the seasons
change.
In the spring and summer, leaves are green. What is the name of the
pigment that gives them this color and what is its function? Is this a
primary or secondary pigment?
In the fall, the leaves lose their green color. Where does the green
pigment go? What is left over that gives the leaves their fall colors?
(EXTRA CREDIT) -> Why do pine needles stay green all year round?
5. You are still a reward-winning biochemist, and now you are designing
plant-killing chemicals known as herbicides. Your job is to design
different chemicals that disrupt photosynthesis, hoping to reduce the
environmental effects of your herbicides.
You design a chemical that destroys the enzyme Rubisco. What step of
photosynthesis would this interrupt? Rubisco is an enzyme, which
means it is what type of macromolecule?
You design a second chemical that breaks the electron transport chain.
What plant cell organelle does this chemical target? The photosynthesis
electron transport chain is embedded in a membrane, what
macromolecule is this membrane made of?
(EXTRA CREDIT) ->