Photosynthesis – WJECPhotosynthesis

Plants carry out photosynthesis to make food from the raw materials they gather from their environment. We can investigate the conditions needed for this process and the factors which affect its rate.

Part of Biology (Single Science)Cells, organ systems and ecosystems

Photosynthesis

is the process by which plants make carbohydrates from raw materials, using energy from light. During photosynthesis:

  • light energy is absorbed by - a green substance found in in the palisade cells in the leaf
  • absorbed light energy is used to convert carbon dioxide (from the air) and water (from the soil) into a sugar called glucose
  • oxygen is released as a by-product

These equations summarise what happens in photosynthesis.

\(\text{carbon dioxide + water} \xrightarrow[\text{chlorophyll}]{\text{light}} \text{glucose + oxygen}\)

Some glucose is used for , while some is converted into insoluble for storage. The stored starch can later be turned back into glucose and used in respiration.

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Factors limiting photosynthesis

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