Life Processes: Nutrition 131

ACTIVITY ZONE
ACTIVITY 1
Aim
To show that chlorophyll is essential for
photosynthesis.
Materials Required
A potted plant of variegated leaves such as money plant
or crotons, white paper sheet, pencil, beaker, water,
water bath, iodine solution and alcohol.
Procedure
1. Keep the plant in a dark room for three days so that
all the starch gets used up (destarching).
2. Now, keep this plant in sunlight for about six hours.
3. Pluck a variegated leaf from the plant. Mark the
green areas in it and trace them on a sheet of paper.
4. Dip the leaf in boiling water for few minutes and
then immerse it in a beaker containing alcohol.
5. Boil the beaker in a water bath till the leaf gets
decolourised.
6. Following this, dip the leaf in a dilute solution of
iodine for few minutes.
7. Take out the leaf and rinse off the iodine solution
under tap water.
8. Observe the changes in the colour of the leaf and
compare it with the tracing of leaf done in beginning.
Conclusion
This experiment proves that only chlorophyll containing areas,
i.e. green parts of the leaf produces starch, which is a product of
photosynthesis. Thus, chlorophyll is essential for
photosynthesis.
Check Yourself
1. Why plants are green in colour?
Ans Chlorophyll is a green coloured pigment, which imparts green
colour to the plants.
2. In which form, food is stored in the plants?
Ans Food is stored in the plants in the form of starch, a complex
carbohydrate, which further breaks down into monomers, that
ultimately releases energy.
3. Name a process performed by the green plants to synthesise
their food.
Ans Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants synthesise
organic food in the form of carbohydrates from carbon dioxide
and water in the presence of sunlight and chlorophyll.
4. Why alcohol is used in the experiment?
Ans Alcohol is used in the experiment because it removes chlorophyll
from leaves. Due to which, the leaf loses its green colour.
5. Give the energy transformation that takes place in the process
of photosynthesis.
Ans Solar energy is converted into chemical energy during
photosynthesis.

ACTIVITY 2
Blue-Black Aim
Green To show that carbon dioxide is necessary for photosynthesis.
Materials Required
Two healthy potted plants of same size, two glass plates, two
White bell jars, vaseline, watch glass, potassium hydroxide, alcohol,
spirit lamp and beaker.
(a) (b) Procedure
Variegated leaf (a) before and (b) after 1. Keep the potted plants in dark for three days, so that the
starch test leaves are destarched.
Observation 2. Place the potted plant (a) on a glass plate and put a watch
glass containing potassium hydroxide (KOH) by the side of
1. The leaf will show two type of patches, i.e.
the pot. Cover it with a bell jar.
bluish-black and white. The bluish-black areas
contain starch and the white areas are without 3. Place the other potted plant (b) on second glass plate and
starch. cover it with a bell jar.
2. Bluish-black areas are the ones, which were green 4. Use Vaseline to seal the bottom of jars to the glass plates so
previously while, non-green areas remain pale that the set up is air tight.
coloured. 5. Keep the plants in sunlight for two hours.
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6. Pluck a leaf from each plant and test the same

for the presence of starch. ACTIVITY 3
Aim
To show that salivary amylase present in the saliva acts upon the
Bell jar food containing starch.
Materials Required
Two test tubes, starch solution (1%), measuring cylinder, saliva and
Watch-glass iodine solution (iodine + potassium iodide).
containing
potassium Procedure
hydroxide 1. Take 1 mL starch solution (1%) in two test tubes marked as A
(KOH)
(a) (b) and B.
Experimental set up (a) With potassium hydroxide
2. Add 1 mL saliva to test tube A and 1 mL water to test tube B and
(b) Without potassium hydroxide leave both test tubes undisturbed for about 20-30 minutes.
3. Now, add few drops of dilute iodine solution to both the test
Observation tubes.
The leaf of plant (b) without potassium hydroxide 4. Observe the colour change
turns blue-black, while the leaf of plant (a) with Observation
potassium hydroxide remains pale coloured or In test tube A→ Starch + Saliva + Iodine solution→ No colour change.
colourless.
In test tube B → Starch + Iodine solution → Colour changes to
Conclusion blue-black.
This experiment demonstrates that the leaf of plant
(b) has synthesised starch by photosynthesis.
Leaf of plant (a) has not synthesised starch as it does Starch + saliva Starch + water
not contain carbon dioxide which is essential for + iodine solution +iodine solution
photosynthesis. CO2 is absorbed by potassium
No blue-black Blue-black
hydroxide. So, photosynthesis did not occur in colour colour
A B
plant (a).
Conclusion
Check Yourself This activity shows that salivary amylase present in saliva acts on the
starch breaking it down into simpler carbohydrates.
1. According to the experiment, which gas is
required for photosynthesis to occur?
Ans According to the experiment, carbon dioxide is
Check Yourself
required for photosynthesis to occur.
1. Name the enzyme present in saliva.
2. Why KOH (potassium hydroxide) is used in Ans Salivary amylase.
plant (a)?
2. On which type of food does salivary amylase act?
Ans KOH is a chemical, which absorbs carbon dioxide. It
is used in (a) to show that it is essential for Ans Salivary amylase acts on the food containing starch.
photosynthesis. 3. Why does test tube B turns blue-black in the experiment?
3. Write the equation, which represents the Ans It happens because Iodine reacts with the starch present in the test
chemical changes that take place during tube.
photosynthesis. 4. Name the end product, which is formed when saliva acts on starch.
Sunlight Ans Maltose.
Ans 6CO2 + 12H2O → C6H12O6
Carbon Water Chlorophyll Glucose Note Food tests for other components
dioxide
+ 6H2O + 6O2 ↑ Sodium hydroxide, Lilac/purple Proteins present
Water Oxygen Copper sulphate colouration
Ethanol/Water Cloudy suspension Lipids present
4. How does CO 2 enters the plant cells for
photosynthesis? Benedict’s solution Brick red precipitate Glucose present
Ans Through stomata present in leaves.