Photosynthesis in Plants

• Heterotrophs 


  are organisms that consume autotrophs.
• Plants are known as autotrophs. 


  They produce their own food.
• Decomposers 


  break down dead or decaying organisms.
• Photosynthesis 

  • is the process of food-making in plants.
  • It is also present in algae, some protists, and some prokaryotes.
  • Plants need sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water to produce their food. The process produces glucose which plants consume as food, and oxygen.
  • Energy from the sun is converted to chemical energy which plants consume.
• Equation for Photosynthesis

  A) 6CO_2

  B) 6H_2O

  C) light energy

  D) chlorophyll

  E) C_6H_12O_6

  F) 6O_2

  
• • Photosynthesis takes place in the leaves of plants.
• Photosynthesis specifically occurs within specialized organelles called chloroplasts.
• • The main photosynthetic unit in the chloroplast is the thylakoid.
• The Process of Photosynthesis

  1. Light energy is captured by chloroplasts found in the mesophyll cells.
  2. Water enters the leaf.
  3. Carbon dioxide also enters the leaf through the stomata. Stomata are tiny pores in the leaf.
  4. Glucose and oxygen are produced through a series of chemical reactions inside the chloroplasts.
  5. Glucose leaves the leaf. Oxygen also leaves through the stomata.
• Identify the term(s) described in each of the following statements:

  1. These are organisms that produce their own food. autotrophs
  2. It is the main photosynthetic unit in the chloroplast. thylakoid
  3. It is the process of food-making in plants. photosynthesis
  4. It is the green pigment in leaves of plants. chlorophyll
  5. It is the entry point of carbon dioxide in leaves of plants. stomata
• Arrange the following steps in photosynthesis. Number the steps from 1 to 5 with 1 being the first.

  • Glucose leaves the leaf. Oxygen also leaves through the stomata. 5
  • Carbon dioxide also enters the leaf through the stomata. 3
  • Light energy is captured by chloroplasts found in the mesophyll cells. 1
  • Water enters the leaf. 2
  • Glucose and oxygen are produced through a series of chemical reactions inside the chloroplasts. 4