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Sebastin Aznrez

4 NAT 2010

5 Plant Nutrition
5.1 The mechanism of photosynthesis
Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants make sugar from carbon dioxide and water, using sunlight energy absorb by chlorophyll. Oxygen gas is a by-product. Plants use the sugar, together with minerals from the soil, to make all the substances they need.

5.2 Leaf structure in relation to photosynthesis


External features of a leaf Petiole The petiole is the narrow stalk of a leaf by which it is attached to the stem. Lamina The lamina is the photosynthetic portion of a leaf. In certain plants the petiole can bend so that the lamina is approximately at right angles to the suns rays throughout the day (tropisms). Mid-rib and veins Leaf veins consist of many tiny tubes which convey water into the leaf and carry food from it. These tubes enter through the petiole and pass in a thick bundle (mid-rib) down the leaf. Smaller bundles, the veins, spread out from the mid-rib to all parts of the leaf. Internal structure of a leaf Epidermis The epidermis is the outermost layer of a cell of a plant. This layer is one cell thick, and consists of regularly shaped cells which cover the plant like a skin. The upper epidermis is often covered by a continuous layer of waxy cuticle which protects the plant against disease organisms. The lower epidermis is characterized by the presence of pores called stomata. Each stoma is made up of a pair of crescent-shaped guard cells which can change shape, thereby opening and closing the pore. In between the upper and lower epidermis of a leaf is the photosynthetic tissue, called the mesophyll. Mesophyll cells are the only ones in the leaf which contain chlorophyll. Palisade mesophyll The palisade layer of a leaf consists of elongated, cylindrical cells which are situated immediately below the upper epidermis. The chlorophyll is contained within organelles called chloroplasts which can move within the cells to areas in which illumination is strongest. Spongy mesophyll Spongy mesophyll consists of irregularly shaped cells with large air spaces between them. These cells have fewer chloroplasts than palisade, and they receive light at lower illumination.

5.3 The leaf in action


Photosynthesis is the reverse of respiration. For a brief moment the movement of gases in and out of the leaves stops altogether. This moment is called the compensation point. At this time photosynthetic and respiratory processes are equal and compensate each other. 1/2

Sebastin Aznrez

4 NAT 2010

5.4 The rate of photosynthesis


Carbon dioxide and light If light intensity is slowly increased, the rate of photosynthesis increases up to a point at which it can go no further (light saturation point). If a plant is placed in a light of fixed intensity and its carbon dioxide supply increased, the rate of photosynthesis increases up to the carbon dioxide saturation point. Temperature Temperature affects the rate of photosynthesis, which is higher at higher temperatures (up to an optimum point).

5.5 The importance of photosynthesis


Product of oxygen At present the sum total of photosynthetic organisms on earth is sufficient to maintain atmospheric oxygen at a level which can support life and combustion. Should it ever fall below this level, animals and many other organisms would suffocate. Deforestation If we continue to destroy forests at the present rate, decreased oxygen levels, and increased carbon dioxide levels could result in a catastrophe of world-wide proportions. Food production The ability of plants to use the energy of sunlight to manufacture food leads indirectly to the feeding of the whole living world on the products of light, air, water and minerals from the soil.

5.6 A plants mineral needs


Plant cannot thrive on carbon dioxide and water alone. They need twelve minerals for healthy growth. A plants mineral needs can be discovered by growing seedlings, with their roots in solutions. This is known as water culture. Certain of these minerals are called the major elements. These are nitrogen, phosphorus, sulphur, potassium, calcium, and magnesium. Other minerals are called trace elements: manganese, zinc, iron, boron, etc.

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