Photosynthesis and

Plant Responses

© Edco 2007 Photosynthesis and plant responses Exploring Science

Biology
 Nutrition
Nutrition is the way in which living things
get their food.
• Animals get their food by eating other
animals and plants.
• Plants make their own food by a process
called photosynthesis.

© Edco 2007 Photosynthesis and plant responses Exploring Science

Biology
 Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis:
• is the way in which green plants make
food
• converts solar (sun) energy into chemical
energy in food
• takes place in the green parts of plants,
mostly in the leaves
• is one of the main differences
between plants and animals.
© Edco 2007 Photosynthesis and plant responses Exploring Science
Biology
 Equation for photosynthesis
Photosynthesis can be summarised as:

Carbon dioxide Sunlight Glucose

+ +
Water Chlorophyll Oxygen

© Edco 2007 Photosynthesis and plant responses Exploring Science

Biology
 Factors needed for photosynthesis
• Carbon dioxide (a gas)
– passes into the leaves from
the air
– enters the under-surface of
leaves through tiny
openings called stomata.
• Water
– enters the roots from the
soil
– passes up through the Water
stem Carbon dioxide
– enters the leaves in the
veins.

© Edco 2007 Photosynthesis and plant responses Exploring Science

Biology
 Factors needed for photosynthesis
• Light
Sun
– in the form of sunlight,
provides the energy
Light
for photosynthesis.

• Chlorophyll
– is a green pigment or
Chlorophyll
dye made by plants Water
– acts as a catalyst for Carbon
dioxide
photosynthesis.

© Edco 2007 Photosynthesis and plant responses Exploring Science

Biology
 Products of photosynthesis
• Glucose
– is a sugar or carbohydrate
– may be used in the plant for:
o respiration (i.e. it is broken down to release
energy)
o storage in the form of starch
o making cell walls (i.e. it is converted to cellulose).

© Edco 2007 Photosynthesis and plant responses Exploring Science

Biology
 Products of photosynthesis
• Oxygen
– is a gas
– may be used in the
plant for respiration
– mostly passes out
of the stomata into
the air.

© Edco 2007 Photosynthesis and plant responses Exploring Science

Biology
 Experiment

To show that starch is made by a

plant in photosynthesis

© Edco 2007 Photosynthesis and plant responses Exploring Science

Biology
 Method
To show that starch is made by a plant in photosynthesis

1. Leave a pot plant in the dark for

two days.
– To destarch the leaves, i.e. the
Aluminium
starch moves out of the leaves. foil
2. Place tinfoil over some of the
leaves of the plant. Light
– To prevent light reaching the
leaves and, therefore, to prevent
photosynthesis. These leaves act
as a control or comparison in the
experiment.
3. Leave the plant in strong light for a
few hours.
– To allow photosynthesis to take
place.
4. Test some of the covered and
uncovered leaves for starch.
– To show whether or not
photosynthesis took place.

© Edco 2007 Photosynthesis and plant responses Exploring Science

Biology
 Experiment

To test leaves for starch

© Edco 2007 Photosynthesis and plant responses Exploring Science

Biology
 Method
To test leaves for starch

1. Boil the leaves in

Leaves
water for a few
minutes. Water

This kills and

softens the leaves. Tripod

Bunsen
burner

© Edco 2007 Photosynthesis and plant responses Exploring Science

Biology
 Method cont.
To test leaves for starch

2. Soak the leaves in

hot alcohol for ten
minutes.
This removes the Boiling
chlorophyll from the water Alcohol
leaves. Removing the
Leaves
green colour allows any
later colour changes to be
seen.

© Edco 2007 Photosynthesis and plant responses Exploring Science

Biology
 Method cont.
To test leaves for starch

3. Rinse the leaves

briefly in boiling Leaves
water. Water
Alcohol makes the
leaves stiff and brittle.
Rinsing off the alcohol
will soften the leaves.

© Edco 2007 Photosynthesis and plant responses Exploring Science

Biology
 Method cont.
To test leaves for starch

4. Add iodine solution to

the leaves.
Iodine solution
Iodine turns from a
red-yellow colour to Leaf
blue-black if starch is
present.

Tile

© Edco 2007 Photosynthesis and plant responses Exploring Science

Biology
 Results
To test leaves for starch

• The leaves that were uncovered turn

blue-black.
– This shows that starch is present.
• The leaves that were covered remain
red-yellow.
– This shows that starch is not present.

© Edco 2007 Photosynthesis and plant responses Exploring Science

Biology
 Conclusion
To test leaves for starch

Starch is made by leaves

in the presence of light.

© Edco 2007 Photosynthesis and plant responses Exploring Science

Biology
 Plant responses
• The ability to respond is one of the
characteristics of life.
• Plants usually respond slowly (so that
often we do not see their responses).
• Plants respond to light and gravity by
growing towards or away from light or
gravity.
• A tropism is the change in growth of a
plant in response to an outside stimulus.
© Edco 2007 Photosynthesis and plant responses Exploring Science
Biology
 Phototropism
Phototropism is the change in growth
of a plant in response to light.

• The shoots (aerial parts) of a plant grow

towards light due to phototropism.
• Phototropism allows shoots to get more
light and make more food.

© Edco 2007 Photosynthesis and plant responses Exploring Science

Biology
 Experiment

To investigate phototropism

© Edco 2007 Photosynthesis and plant responses Exploring Science

Biology
 Method
To investigate phototropism

Set up the apparatus as shown in the diagram.

Light

Light

Petri dish containing wet cotton wool

sprinkled with seedlings
© Edco 2007 Photosynthesis and plant responses Exploring Science
Biology
 Results
To investigate phototropism

Section A: the Section B: the Section C: the

seedlings grow seedlings grow seedlings turn
towards the light straight up yellow and do not
and bend. towards the light. grow.

© Edco 2007 Photosynthesis and plant responses Exploring Science

Biology
 Conclusion
To investigate phototropism

Seedlings grow towards the light.

© Edco 2007 Photosynthesis and plant responses Exploring Science

Biology
 Geotropism
Geotropism is the change in growth of a
plant in response to gravity.
• The shoots of a plant grow away from
gravity.
– This means they grow upwards towards the
light.
• The roots grow towards gravity.
– This means they grow into the soil to get a
better grip and to absorb more water.
© Edco 2007 Photosynthesis and plant responses Exploring Science
Biology
 Experiment

To investigate geotropism

© Edco 2007 Photosynthesis and plant responses Exploring Science

Biology
 Method
To investigate geotropism

Damp compost
1. Soak some large
seeds in water for a Blotting paper
day or two.
2. Set up the apparatus Beaker
as shown in the
Soaked seeds
diagram.
3. Leave the apparatus
in a warm dark place
for a few days.

© Edco 2007 Photosynthesis and plant responses Exploring Science

Biology
 Result
To investigate geotropism

As the diagram shows:

The shoots grow

The roots grow up away from
down towards gravity
gravity

© Edco 2007 Photosynthesis and plant responses Exploring Science

Biology
 Conclusion
To investigate geotropism

Shoots grow away from gravity and roots

grow towards gravity.

© Edco 2007 Photosynthesis and plant responses Exploring Science

Biology
© Edco 2007 Photosynthesis and plant responses Exploring Science
Biology