Photosynthesis
The process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods from carbon dioxide and water. This process occurs in plants and some algae. The process of photosynthesis takes place in the chloroplasts, specifically using chlorophyll, the green pigment involved in
photosynthesis. Photosynthesis takes place primarily in plant leaves, and little to none occurs in stems. The parts of a typical leaf include the upper and lower epidermis, the mesophyll, the vascular bundle(s) (veins), and the stomata. The upper and lower epidermal cells do not have chloroplasts, thus photosynthesis does not occur there.
The Overall Equation:
6CO2 + 6H2O (+ light energy) = C6H12O6 + 6O2
Photosynthesis happens in two stages:
1. Stage 1 (LIGHT DEPENDENT) – the phase that occurs in the light – a pigment in
the chloroplast called chlorophyll captures sunlight energy
2. Stage 2 (LIGHT INDEPENDENT) – carbon dioxide and water and used to make
glucose and oxygen
The Overall Equation:
6CO2 + 6H2O (+ light energy) = C6H12O6 + 6O2
Photosynthesis happens in two stages:
1. Stage 1 (LIGHT DEPENDENT) – the phase that occurs in the light – a pigment in
the chloroplast called chlorophyll captures sunlight energy
2. Stage 2 (LIGHT INDEPENDENT) – carbon dioxide and water and used to make
glucose and oxygen
TESTING A LEAF FOR STARCH AS AN INDICATOR THAT PHOTOSYNTHESIS HAS OCCURRED
Factors affecting the rate of photosynthesisThe term rate always involves time, so the rate of photosynthesis can be considered to be how fast photosynthesis takes place. This can be measured by the amount of glucose produced by a plant over a given time. This topic is especially important to scientist and farmers. By understanding the factors that affect the rate of photosynthesis they can do work to try and increase the rate of photosynthesis to increase the yield of a crop.
The three main things affecting the rate of photosynthesis are:
These three factors are called LIMITING FACTORS.
The three main things affecting the rate of photosynthesis are:
These three factors are called LIMITING FACTORS.