Chapter 8 Photosynthesis

• Key components for photosynthesis

  • Carbon
  • Water
  • Sunlight energy
  • Chlorophyll
  • Glucose
• Photosynthesis requires 660 + 61 + 20 = 741 units of sunlight energy
• Photosynthesis produces glucose
• Plants and algae produce glucose through photosynthesis
• Organisms that consume glucose are called consumers
• Photosynthesis produces glucose which is then used to build complex molecules in plant cells
• Glucose is soluble in water, affecting how water moves and osmosis in plant cells
• Starch is an insoluble storage form of glucose in plants
• Starch provides stored energy for plants
• Many plants produce tubers and bulbs to store starch and survive winter
• Plants combine glucose with amino acids to make proteins
• Plants need minerals from the soil to survive
• Some plants like carnivorous plants obtain nutrients from insects
• Plants and algae make lipids (fats and oils) from glucose
• Lipids are used to store energy in plant seeds
• Lipids from algae are used as biofuels
• Key limiting factors for plant growth in greenhouses are light, temperature and carbon dioxide
• Greenhouses use controlled environments, lighting, temperature and CO2 to maximize plant growth and yields
• The inverse square law shows how light intensity decreases exponentially with distance
• As light intensity increased, the rate of bubble production (respiration) increased before leveling off