Biology10

Therateofphotosynthesis
th
7
May2015

Group3Members:
1. Non

Tanarut

Lerdsuwanrut

5761154

2. Jidd

Vorawan

Chanvorawit

5761174

3. Pew

Wittida

Chantawichayasuit 5761179

4. Pete

Yanin

Budhijalananda

5761181

OurlivingthingsonEarthareclassifiedastwogroups.First,Heterotrophswhichis
thegroupthatcannotmaketheirownfood,forexampleareanimals,andhuman.Second,
Autotrophswhichisthegroupthatcanproducetheirownfoodandalsofeedthe
heterotrophstoo,forexampleisplant.Theyproducetheirfoodbytheprocesscalled
photosynthesis.Photosynthesisistheprocessthattransformsthesolarenergyintothe
chemicalenergythatenergyisstoredascarbohydratesorglucose.Moreover,
photosynthesistakeplaceinplantsleaf,insidethemesophyllcell,andintheorganelle
calledchloroplastwhichcontainsthechlorophyll.Rawmaterialswhichareusein
photosynthesisaresunlight,water,andcarbondioxide.Inaddition,photosynthesisis
separatedintotwophases.First,thelightdependentreaction,thisreactiononlyoccurs
whensunlightisavailableandhappensinsidethethylakoidmembraneofthechloroplast.In
thisreactionusessunlightandwatertoproduceoxygen,ATP,andNADPH.Insidethe
thylakoidmembraneitcontainselectrontransportchainand2photosystemswhichhave
chlorophyllinside.Second,thelightindependentreactionordarkreaction(calvincycle),this
reactionisdifferenttothelightreactionbecauseitdoesntneedlighttooccur.Whatismore,
ithappensinthestromaofchloroplastanddoesnotneedtheelectrontransportchain.In
thisreactionitusestheproductfromlightreactionwhichisATPandNADPHwiththelast
rawmaterial,carbondioxide.ThosereactantsproduceADP+,NADP+,and
glucose/carbohydrateswhichcanbefurtheruseinsidetheplants.
Inthisexperiment,wearetestingontheElodeaplantunderthelamp,andcounting
thenumberofbubblesoroxygenthathasbeenproduce.Thatledustoobservehowthe
photosynthesis,thelightreactionphaseoccurandoxygenbeenproduced.Weplacethe
plantfor4differentdistancesfromthelamp,whichare10cm,15cm,20cm,25cmand
observethebubblesthatfloatingupfromthetube.Afterthatwechoosethebestdistance

thatproduceoxygenthemost,weaddsodiumbicarbonatetothetubeandobservewhatwill
happennext.
Purpose:Todemonstrateandobservehowphotosynthesisoccursandthe
productionofoxygen
Hypothesis:

IftheElodeaplantplacedfurthertothelight,theamountofbubbleswill
decrease.

Ifweaddbakingsodaintothetesttube,theamountofbubbleslab
photosynthesiswillincrease.

Materials:

Labcoat

Gloves

Googles

Testtube

Elodeacuttings

SodiumBicarbonate(bakingsoda)

Beakerwithwater

Lamp

Procedure:

Results:

DataTable1:Numberofbubblesperminute

Distance

Minute

10cm

15cm

20cm

25cm

15cm
(withbaking
soda)

49
bubbles

83
bubbles

56
bubbles

38
bubbles

77
bubbles

58
bubbles

76
bubbles

55
bubbles

35
bubbles

88
bubbles

67
bubbles

79
bubbles

54
bubbles

38
bubbles

100
bubbles

80
bubbles

79
bubbles

51
bubbles

34
bubbles

103
bubbles

83
bubbles

73
bubbles

51
bubbles

34
bubbles

132
bubbles

Mean

67.4
bubbles

78
bubbles

53.4
bubbles

35.8bubbles

100bubbles

Chart1:Numberofbubblesperminute


Thebestdistanceforourgroupsplanttoperformphotosynthesisis15cm.Atthis
distanceafterthetesttubewasaddedthesodiumbicarbonatetherateofphotosynthesis
risesharply,atthefifthminuteitgrowsalmosttwicefromtheregularone.
AnalyzingResults:
1. Calculatetherateofphotosynthesisfor1dayforeachdistanceoflightsource.
DataTable2:Rateofphotosynthesisforoneday
Distance

Rate

10cm

15cm

20cm

25cm

15cm(with
bakingsoda)

97,056
bubbles

112,320
bubbles

76,896
bubbles

51,552
bubbles

144,000
bubbles

Formula:24hrsx60min=1440
,
1440xmean=ratefor1day
2. Explainwhychangingthedistanceofthelampaffecttherateofphotosynthesis.This
mayrequireresearchonyourpart.

Thereasonwhytherateofphotosynthesisaffectedbythechangingdistance
ofthelampbecauseeachdistancethatplantlocatedabsorbsdifferent
amountoflightinthisprocess.Sinceplantcomesclosertothelamp,thelight
intensityincreaseandsometimesalongwiththerateofphotosynthesis.On
thecontrary,iftheplantabsorbsveryhighintensity,itwilldamage
chloroplastswhichwilldecreasetherateofphotosynthesis.

URL:
http://www.passmyexams.co.uk/GCSE/biology/factorsaffectingrateofphotos
ynthesis.html

3. ExplainhowOxygenisproducedandreleasedduringphotosynthesis

Oxygenproducedbythelightreactionwhichoccursinthethylakoid
membraneofchloroplast.First,H2Ooxidized,itsplitsintooxygen
andhydrogenwhichistheprocesscalledphotolysis.Thoseelectronsfrom
hydrogengetpasstophotosystem2andoxygenbecomeawasteproductof
thelightreactionwhichleaveoutthroughstomataandreleasedtothe
atmosphere.

4. ExplaintheeffectSodiumBicarbonatehasontherateofphotosynthesis.

SodiumBicarbonateisactinglikeacarbondioxidewhichincreasesthe
amountofphotosynthesisreactionintheplants.Itincreasesbygivingthe
carbondioxidemoleculestothereaction.Aftertheplantsgetmorecarbon
dioxide,thereactionwillhavemorereactanttouseinthephotosynthesis
reaction.Soitwillhelptheprocessrunsfasterandrisesuptherateof
photosynthesiswhichresultedinincreasingtheamountofbubblesoroxygen
thathasbeenproduce.

5. Researchusingyourtextand/ortheinternet,howadesertplant,whichtakesinvery
littlewaterandhashighheatintensityduringtheday,stillefficientlyproduces
glucosebyphotosynthesis.

Desertplantsneedtoadaptthemselvestoliveoutinthehotdesertwhich
doesnothaveenoughwatertocompletephotosynthesisreaction.They
changetheplacewherephotosynthesistakeplacewhichisleaftothesurface
oftheirstemtodecreasetheamountofwatervaporthatcanescapebecause
leafsareeasierforwatertogetoutofit.Onthedaytime,stomataclosesto
protectwaterfromescapingthestemandthecarbondioxidethatstoredas
malicacidatthenighttimewereusedtoproducecarbohydrateorglucose.At
thenighttime,stomatawillopentostartstoredcarbondioxideagainbutthe
resultiswatervaporcanescapefromtheairspaceinsidethestemtothe
environment.Moreover,thedesertplantsuchascactushasalongerroots
thanothernormalplantsinthenormalenvironmentinconditiontosearchfor
waterthatareveryhardtofindinthedesert.Withbothofchangingwhere
photosynthesisistakeplaceanddeveloptheirrootstogettherawmaterial
theyneediskeepingthesedesertplantstillefficientlyproducesglucoseby
photosynthesis.

URL:
http://www.nps.gov/arch/learn/nature/cacti.htm

Sinceautotrophsarethetypesoflivingthingsthatcanproducefoodbythemselves
throughtheprocesscalledPhotosynthesis.Photosynthesisisthetransformationofthe
solarenergyintothechemicalenergythatstoredinglucoseorcarbohydrateswhichplantis
useindifferentfunctions.Photosynthesisitselfcanonlyoccurinplacethatcontainsthe
chlorophyllwhichisthephotosystemthatlocatedinthethylakoidmembraneinsideofthe

chloroplast.Therearethreemainthingsthatplantsrequireforphotosynthesistooccur
sunlightfromtheSun,waterthroughcapillaryaction,andcarbondioxidefromtheair.
Moreover,photosynthesisalsohas2phaseswhichislightreactionanddarkreaction.
Inlightreaction,startwiththephotolysisorsplittingofwater.Wateraresplitapart
intooxygenandhydrogenwhichoxygenasawasteproduct.Itleavesthesystemout
throughthestomata,thesamewaythatcarbondioxidecomesin.Afterthathydrogenwould
givetheirselectrontothephotosystem2which(bothofthephotosystem)containsthe
chlorophyll.Thosechlorophyllhelpabsorblightandmaketheelectrongetcharged.After
thatelectronshasbeenpassdowntotheelectrontransportchainorETC,whileitwaspass
downtheyreleasesomeoftheenergyandthoseenergyusetopumpH+fromthestroma
intothethylakoidspace.Eventuallytheelectronspasstothenextphotosystem,the
photosystem1.ThoseelectronsgetchargedagainandleaveouttotheNADP+inorderto
createaNADPH.Lastly,thethylakoidspacehashigherelectrochemicalgradientandalotof
potentialenergythatarereadytoberelease.SoH+istryingtoescapebypassingthrough
theATPsynthase,transformtheirpotentialenergyintothekineticenergythatisusetobind
upADP+PintoanATP.Inconclude,thelightreactionhas2products,whicharesunlight
andwater.Thosereactantscreate3products,whichareoxygen,NADPH,andATPthatwill
beuseinthenextphase,thedarkreaction.
Indarkreaction,sunlightisdoesntrequireanymore,theyusecarbondioxide,ATP,
andNADPHinordertocreateglucoseinsidethestroma.ThisreactioncanbecalledCalvin
Cycleandoccurafterthelightreaction.Itusescarbondioxidethatenterstheleafthrough
thestomataandintothechloroplasttomakeglucosebythreestages.First,carbondioxide
fixation,RuBPispresentforCO2toattach(theywouldgethelpbytherubisco)andresulted
ina6carbonmoleculeswhichisunstable.Afterthatthis6carbonarebreakdowninto
3PGA.Second,carbondioxidereduction,3PGAisreducedtoG3P,breakingATPtoADP+P

andNADPHtoNADP+.TheyrequirethreeturnsofcalvincycletogetoneG3P,andtwo
G3Pisrequiretoformoneglucose.Socalvincycleneedstorun6timestomake1molecule
ofglucose.Third,theregenerationofRuBP,whenitsrun3cycles,therewillbe6G3Pand
5ofG3PisusedtoreformtheRuBPtocontinuethecycle.AndthelastG3Pisrestfor
anotheroneG3Ptoformglucose.
Inthisexperiment,wetaketheElodeacuttingtotestthephotosynthesis.Weputitin
thetesttubewithwaterandplaceunderthelamp.Plantscangetthethreematerialsthey
needwhicharelightfromthelamp,water,andcarbondioxidefromtheair.Weobserveand
counttheamountofbubbles,whichrepresenttheoxygenthatproduceastheproductof
photosynthesis.Thedifferentdistancefromplanttolampwassetdifferentthereare10cm,
15cm,20cm,and25cmmakedifferentrateofphotosynthesis.Wecanknowthatbythe
numberofbubblesthataredifferent,andthebestdistanceforourgroupis15cm.Afterthat
weaddthesodiumbicarbonateintothetesttuberesultedinincreasingtherateof
photosynthesis.
Fromtheexperimentthatwedid,theresultthatwegotmeetsexpectationandbased
toourhypothesis.Aswetakeanobservationaboutphotosynthesisandoxygenproduction
processes,wewouldsaythatourhypothesisisreallyworks.Theresultoccurswhenwe
placedthebeakerinfrontofthelamp,thebubblesstartedtocomeoutfromtheElodea
cuttingscontinuously.Wefoundthattherateofphotosynthesisalsochangewhenwemoved
thebeakerindifferentdistance.Thedistanceof15centimetershasmorerateof
photosynthesiscomparedto10centimeterswhichmeansthatthedistanceistooclosefor
planttoproducemuchexpectableoxygen.Whereas,theothertwodistanceshavelessrate
ofphotosynthesisbecauseplantcanabsorbslesslightfromthefurtherdistance.Moreover,
whenweaddedbakingsodaintothetesttube,therateofphotosynthesisincreasedmore.

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Asthebakingsodathatactasthecarbondioxidewhichhelptosynthesizethereaction
whichhelptocreatemuchmoreamountofoxygenthantheregularonedoes.
Thisexperimentteachesusmainlythreethings.First,
wecanusesodium
bicarbonateinformofcarbondioxideandithelpstoincreasetherateofphotosynthesis.
Second,eventhedessertplantscansurviveandproducetheirownfood,becausethey
adaptthemselvestotheenvironmentandtryingtoreachthe3rawmaterialstheyneeded.
Last,
photosynthesiscanhappenalldaylong,andwecanusethelightfromlampinsteadof
sunlight.Theamountofoxygenthatplantscreateperdayisveryincredibleandunexpected.
Wehopeourlabreportwillbehelpfulforthosewhostudyinphotosynthesisorbiology,or
wonderinghowoxygenthatwebreathproduce.Thislabreportwouldbeanothergood
choicetounderstandthephotosynthesisreactionfurthermore.

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