Investigating Factors That Affect the Rate of Photosynthesis

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Investigating Factors That Affect the Rate of Photosynthesis

INTRODUCTION

All green plants use raw materials from their surrounding atmosphere

to make their own food. They do this by a process called

Photosynthesis. Green plants contain many tiny structures called

Chloroplasts and these contain a chemical called Chlorophyll. This

chemical is a very important part of Photosynthesis, as this is where

the plant, to produce its own food, absorbs sunlight. Photosynthesis

mainly takes place in the Palisade Mesophyll cells, which are situated

near the top of the leaf. These cells contain lots of Chloroplasts,

which are closely packed together, so that they can trap the most

amount of sunlight possible.

Diagram To Show How Photosynthesis Takes Place In a Leaf

[IMAGE]

(This diagram is taken from 'Biology for you' by Gareth Williams)

The main purpose of Photosynthesis is for a plant to produce oxygen

and glucose so that the plant can grow. It does this by absorbing

light energy in chlorophyll and using this energy to change the two

main raw materials, (Carbon Dioxide, and Water) into glucose and

oxygen. The oxygen is the waste product from photosynthesis and

therefore goes into the atmosphere. The glucose goes onto to be stored

by the plant. The plant can not store the glucose, as it is, it has to

be turned into starch. The starch is then used as food and is stored

for when it is needed. Photosynthesis is a complex reaction and can be

summed up in an equation:

carbon dioxide + water light and chlorophyll glucose + oxygen

[IMAGE] 6 CO 6 H O C H O 6 O

FACTORS THAT EFFECT PHOTOSYNTHESIS Amandeep Virk

0236

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* Light: This factor is just as important as the others are in

Photosynthesis, without it photosynthesis would simply not take place.

It has an effect on the rate of photosynthesis and depending on the

availability and source of light, it can make photosynthesis occur

either faster or slower. The amount of light can only increase to a

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