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Introduction To Photosynthesis (09012005)

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17 views12 pages

Introduction To Photosynthesis (09012005)

Uploaded by

chicherlea
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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WHAT IS

PHOTOSYNTHESIS?
WHAT HAVE WE LEARNT SO FAR?

• Animals get their energy from the food


they eat through the process of
respiration with the help of the
digestive system, the respiratory system
and the circulatory system.
• This energy is required to carry out life
processes and to survive.
• However, since energy cannot be created
or destroyed, the energy released from
the food that animals eat must have
been converted from other forms of
energy.
WHAT HAVE WE LEARNT SO FAR?

• So we take a closer look at the food


animals eat.
• Animals eat either plants or other
animals.
• However, by tracing food chains, which
show a series of living things linked
together whereby each one is the food
for the next, we realise that animals
ultimately get their food from plants.
• Therefore, the ultimate source of food
for animals is plants and energy transfer
among organisms begins from plants.
WHAT HAVE WE LEARNT SO FAR?

• Where do plants get their energy


for their life processes from?
• Plants do not eat food. They make
food and then get their energy
from the food that they make again
through respiration.
• When they make food, they convert
light energy from the sun to
stored/chemical energy in the food.
• This process is known as
photosynthesis.
PHOTOSYNTHESIS

• Photosynthesis is the process by


which plants make food in the
presence of sunlight.
• What do the plants need when
carrying out photosynthesis?
• Sunlight, water, carbon dioxide
• What do the plants produce in the
process?
• Food and oxygen
PHOTOSYNTHESIS – The equation

• So, what would the equation for the


process, photosynthesis be?
• Should it be :
– Sunlight + water + carbon dioxide
food + oxygen
• Sunlight is not matter. It is
energy. Can it be an input?
• It should be
sunlight
– Carbon dioxide + water chlorophyll
Food (glucose) + oxygen
PHOTOSYNTHESIS – The equation

• Why is it that only plants can carry out


photosynthesis?
• Plants have chloroplasts which contain
chlorophyll. Animals do not have.
• Chlorophyll is required to trap energy
from the sun.
• What exactly happens during the
process to make the input become the
output?
• Firstly, the reactions carried out during
photosynthesis is powered by the energy
trapped by the chlorophyll.
PHOTOSYNTHESIS – The chemical equation

• Water molecules (H2O) are split


apart into hydrogen and oxygen
atoms.
• These combine with carbon dioxide
molecules which is CO2 to make
glucose (C6H12O6). Oxygen gas is
given off as a waste produce.
• Therefore the chemical equation
for the abovesunlight
reactions is
• 6CO2 +6H2O chlorophyllC6H12O6+6O2
PHOTOSYNTHESIS – A Glucose Molecule
PHOTOSYNTHESIS –Where does it happen?

• Where does photosynthesis take


place?
• Any part of the plant which
contains chlorophyll. However, the
leaves are especially adapted to
make food.
• In cactus, the leaves are spiny, not
much chlorophyll hence its stem do
the job.
PHOTOSYNTHESIS – Why are leaves the
ideal place for photosynthesis to happen?

• Leaves have external and internal features


that help them carry out photosynthesis.
– Leaves have large surface areas and spread
out in such a way they do not overlap so that
they absorb the maximum amount of
sunlight.
– Cells usually have a large number of
chloroplasts.
– They have a network of veins which help
transport water from the stems to all parts
of the leaf and then transport glucose from
the leaves to the stem to all parts of the
plant.
PHOTOSYNTHESIS – Why are leaves the
ideal place for photosynthesis to happen?

• Leaves have external and internal features


that help them carry out photosynthesis.
– They have special pores mainly on the
underside of the leaf called stomata which
allows carbon dioxide from the air to enter
the leaf and oxygen to be released into the
atmosphere.
– Leaves are also thin to allow quick diffusion
of carbon dioxide to all the cells in the leaf.

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