Photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is one the most important life processes that happens on earth. It is the process plants use to create their own food by converting water and carbon dioxide into glucose and oxygen using light energy. The chemical equation for photosynthesis is 6 CO2 + 6 H2O → C6H12O6 + 6 O2. There are many things in the environment however that can help or hinder this process. In this report I will be explaining 3 structures in the leaf that allow it to carry out photosynthesis, and how light intensity can affect the rate of photosynthesis that can occur.
The first structure that helps the leaf carry out photosynthesis is the waxy cuticle. The waxy cuticle is produced by the upper epidermis and is an important part of the plants …show more content…
The palisade cells are directly below the transparent waxy cuticle and upper epidermis. The palisade cells are tightly packed in a layer below the upper epidermis and stretch across the length of the leaf to maximise light they can trap in the cells. The thing that allows the palisade cells to photosynthesize are the chloroplasts which contain chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is a name for closely packed green pigments that allow plants to absorb energy from sunlight. Sunlight is not so much an ingredient of photosynthesis but tool used to convert Carbon dioxide and water in glucose and oxygen. Therefore, provided there is enough carbon dioxide and water in the palisade cell, the higher the light intensity the higher the rate of photosynthesis. There is a limit to the rate of photosynthesis that can happen, however. A lack of carbon dioxide can limit the amount of photosynthesis that can take place. Even if there is enough carbon dioxide, the temperature of the plant can make a difference to the rate of photosynthesis that can occur by denaturing the enzymes that allow it to happen. If the sunlight is too intense, and makes the plants temperature rises above 40 degrees, the enzymes that carry out photosynthesis will denature and the rate of photosynthesis will be slowed down, and if it is not intense enough, the cells that carry out photosynthesis will become inactive, and slow down the rate of …show more content…
The radicle is the first part of a seed that emerges during germination. The radicle becomes the first root of the plant, and uses geotropic forces (with gravity) to grow downwards into the soil. The hypocotyl grows above the stem to support the cotyledons as the radicle begins to grow. The radicle bursts through micropyle on the side of the testa (seed coat) during the first 3-4 days of germination. It pushes its way through soil below using energy from the cotyledons, which is converted to ATP using cell respiration. Finding water is the radicles main objective. The radicle is heterotrophic, which means that it is able to locate water and grow towards water. It grows down to try and locate as much water as it can. Water is required for growth of the plant throughout its whole life. At first it is required to make the cotyledons soluble so that it can move easier to the growing regions of the seed. It is also required to activate the enzymes that are crucial to the germination process. The radicle becomes the first of many roots that grow when the plant becomes bigger. The initial radicle that grows down is called the primary root. Roots that branch off this are called secondary roots. The roots extract water and other nutrients from the soil that are essential to a plant's growth. Water, in particular is a key ingredient in the process of photosynthesis, which is the process a plant uses to create
Photosynthesis is one the most important life processes that happens on earth. It is the process plants use to create their own food by converting water and carbon dioxide into glucose and oxygen using light energy. The chemical equation for photosynthesis is 6 CO2 + 6 H2O → C6H12O6 + 6 O2. There are many things in the environment however that can help or hinder this process. In this report I will be explaining 3 structures in the leaf that allow it to carry out photosynthesis, and how light intensity can affect the rate of photosynthesis that can occur.
The first structure that helps the leaf carry out photosynthesis is the waxy cuticle. The waxy cuticle is produced by the upper epidermis and is an important part of the plants …show more content…
The palisade cells are directly below the transparent waxy cuticle and upper epidermis. The palisade cells are tightly packed in a layer below the upper epidermis and stretch across the length of the leaf to maximise light they can trap in the cells. The thing that allows the palisade cells to photosynthesize are the chloroplasts which contain chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is a name for closely packed green pigments that allow plants to absorb energy from sunlight. Sunlight is not so much an ingredient of photosynthesis but tool used to convert Carbon dioxide and water in glucose and oxygen. Therefore, provided there is enough carbon dioxide and water in the palisade cell, the higher the light intensity the higher the rate of photosynthesis. There is a limit to the rate of photosynthesis that can happen, however. A lack of carbon dioxide can limit the amount of photosynthesis that can take place. Even if there is enough carbon dioxide, the temperature of the plant can make a difference to the rate of photosynthesis that can occur by denaturing the enzymes that allow it to happen. If the sunlight is too intense, and makes the plants temperature rises above 40 degrees, the enzymes that carry out photosynthesis will denature and the rate of photosynthesis will be slowed down, and if it is not intense enough, the cells that carry out photosynthesis will become inactive, and slow down the rate of …show more content…
The radicle is the first part of a seed that emerges during germination. The radicle becomes the first root of the plant, and uses geotropic forces (with gravity) to grow downwards into the soil. The hypocotyl grows above the stem to support the cotyledons as the radicle begins to grow. The radicle bursts through micropyle on the side of the testa (seed coat) during the first 3-4 days of germination. It pushes its way through soil below using energy from the cotyledons, which is converted to ATP using cell respiration. Finding water is the radicles main objective. The radicle is heterotrophic, which means that it is able to locate water and grow towards water. It grows down to try and locate as much water as it can. Water is required for growth of the plant throughout its whole life. At first it is required to make the cotyledons soluble so that it can move easier to the growing regions of the seed. It is also required to activate the enzymes that are crucial to the germination process. The radicle becomes the first of many roots that grow when the plant becomes bigger. The initial radicle that grows down is called the primary root. Roots that branch off this are called secondary roots. The roots extract water and other nutrients from the soil that are essential to a plant's growth. Water, in particular is a key ingredient in the process of photosynthesis, which is the process a plant uses to create