FACTORS NECESSARY FOR PHOTOSYNTHESIS:

Following factors are necessary for photosynthesis. There are two tyi es of
factors i.e. External

EXTERNAL FACTORS for examples: sunlight, water, CO2 and temperature

INTERNAL FACTOR for example chlorophyll.

These factors are described one by one as follows.

LIGHT:
Light is very important for Photosynthesis, without it he process can not
occur. It provides energy which is required for the synthesis of glucose.
Intensity of light varies from day to day, from place to place. Very intense
light is harmful, and light of moderate intensity accelerates, while weak
light slows down the rate of photosynthesis. In total absence of light even
the chlorophyll does not develop. The process of photosynthesis can also
take place in artificial-light.

WATER:
Plants also need water for photosynthesis. It is important in photosynthesis
in two ways. Firstly, it provides hydrogen for the formation of glucose while
secondly opening and closing of stomata is regulated by increase or
decrease in the amount of water.

CHLOROPHYLL:
It is a pigment which is present within a cell is called chloroplast. It is present in
leaves (mesophyll). It traps energy of sunlight and converts it into chemical
energy. Photosynthesis will not continue without chlorophyll.
CARBON DIOXIDE:
Plants receive CO2 from. air. The amount of CO2 in air is-about O.03 to
0.04% photosynthesis will not take place without CO2. The process of
photosynthesis accelerates if its proportion is increased upto 1%, However,
greater amount of carbon dioxide adversely affect the process.

TEMPERATURE:
A suitable temperature is essential for photosynthesis. A temperature
range of 15o to 30oC is most suitable for the photosynthesis. The rate of
photosynthesis starts decreasing at high temperature and it completely
stops at 45oC. But depending on regions, e.g. photosynthesis takes place at
a temperature range from 0°C to 10oC in plant of cold and mountainous
regions.

PROCESS OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS (Conversion of light energy into

chemical energy):

Photosynthesis is the metabolic process by which plants trap light energy

and convert it. into chemical energy and store it in the bonds of organic
nutrient molecules. Such as Glucose and release oxygen as a by product.

Photosynthesis is not a simple process. However it is very complex

process which involves series of reactions. These reactions occur in a
different site in the chloroplast. Whole process of photosynthesis can be
divided into two main stages i.e.

(i) LIGHT REACTION (ii) DARK REACTION

LIGHT REACTION:
Light reaction is also known as light-dependent reaction, because this
reaction takes place in the presence of light. In this reaction chloroplast
traps the light energy and converts it into chemical energy. Fixation and
Conversion of CO2 into glucose takes place in the chloroplast by the help of
a series of reactions which is called Melvin Calvin and Benson cycle or dark
reaction (Melvin Calvin and Benson described the dark reaction and they
got Noble prize in 1961.

Glucose molecules which are formed at this stage are converted

in the form of starch in the chloroplast.

LIGHT REACTION DARK REACTION

i. It is known as light dependent i. It is known as light in dependent
reaction. reaction.
ii. This reaction takes place in the ii. This reaction does not require
presence of light. light.

iii. In this reaction light energy is
converted to chemical energy.
Some of the energy is utilized in
breaking of water molecule into
hydrogen and oxygen while
remaining energy is stored in the
form of ATP and NADPH2
iii. In this reaction ATP and NADPH2
which are produced during light
reaction are utilized to
manufacture glucose by fixing
CO2

EXPERIMENTS OF PHOTOSYNTHESIS
EXPERIMENT NO. 1: