Biology - Plant nutrition

Associated text Biology for CSEC examinations 3rd edition Chapter 9 photosynthesis pages 91 - 97
CXC Syllabus objectives
1. Distinguish among heterotrophic, autotrophic and saprophytic nutrition. Simple inorganic
substances used by plants compare to complex organic substances consumed by animals and fungi.
Identify sources of food for a named organism for each type of nutrition.
2. Describe the process of photosynthesis in green plants. Simple treatment involving an equation to
summarize the process.
• The evolution of oxygen as a result of the splitting of water by light energy
• The subsequent reduction of carbon dioxide to a carbohydrate.
• The chloroplast as the site of the reaction
• Role of chlorophyll
• The fate of products (metabolized to provide energy or stored)
3. Relate the structure of the leaf of the flowering plant to its function in photosynthesis. The external
features and the internal structure of a dicotyledonous leaf as seen in Cross section under the light
microscope. Emphasize adaptations for photosynthesis (stomata, intercellular spaces, chloroplast in
palisade layer close to epidermis).
4. Explain how environmental factors affect the rate of photosynthesis; to include temperature, water
and CO2.
5. Discuss the importance of minerals in plant nutrition using nitrogen and magnesium as examples;
Emphasis on the importance of nitrogen in the formation of proteins and magnesium in the formation
of chlorophyll.
Types of nutrition
Type of nutrition Definition Examples
1.Autotrophic the intake of simple inorganic substances ( carbon dioxide and Plants
nutrition water) by plants during photosynthesis
2.Heterotrophic Intake of complex organic substances ( carbohydrates, proteins Humans
nutrition and fats) when animals feed.
3.Saprophytic the intake of complex ( carbohydrates , proteins and fats ) decaying Fungi
nutrition organic matter

Photosynthesis

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Photosynthesis is the process by which plants make glucose from raw materials (carbon dioxide and
water) using energy from light. Photosynthesis occurs in the chloroplast of leaves.

The raw materials are carbon dioxide and water

The conditions are light and chlorophyll

The products are glucose and oxygen

How the materials reach the leaves

Material How they reach to the leaf

Carbon dioxide Diffuses from the air through the stomata into the air spaces around the
mesophyll cells then diffuses into the mesophyll cells.
Water Enters the plants through the roots by osmosis. Then travels up the xylem in the
stem and into the leaves. From the xylem in the leaf water moves by osmosis to
the palisade cells.
Light Pass into the leaf from all around, especially from above.
Chlorophyll Found inside chloroplast. Chlorophyll traps light

Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll a complex green pigment made up of four nitrogen, one magnesium,
carbon and oxygen. Chlorophyll are found in the chloroplast of plant cells.
Chlorophyll is responsible for trapping light energy.

There are two stages of photosynthesis

1. Light - dependent stage
Step 1. Plants take in CO2 through their leaves by diffusion.
Step 2. H2O is absorbed through plants’ roots by osmosis, and transported to the leaf through xylem
vessels.
Step 3. Chlorophyll traps light energy and absorbs it.
Step 4. The light energy is used to split H2O into hydrogen, and oxygen.

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2. Light - independent stage (does not require light)
Step 1. The hydrogen joins with carbon dioxide to make glucose. The glucose is used in one of three
ways
I. Used during respiration to produce energy for the
plant
II. Converted to starch in the leaf to be used in the
night when the plant is not carrying out
photosynthesis.
III. Converted to sucrose and transported in the
phloem vessels to other parts of the plant such as
the stems or roots. There it can be converted to
carbohydrates, lipids and proteins and used for
growth, or converted to starch and stored.
Step 2. O2 is used by the plant for respiration or released as a waste product and diffuses out of the leaf
through the stomata.

The leaf

The leaf is made up of several layers

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Part of leaf Descriptions
1. Cuticle Made of wax. This makes the leaf waterproof. The wax is made by the cells of
the upper epidermis.
2. Upper epidermis Thin and transparent to allow light to pass through. No chloroplasts are
present.
3.Palisade Mesophyll Main area for photosynthesis. Cells are long and packed with chloroplasts
4. Spongy Mesophyll Cells are more circular and loosely packed contain chloroplasts, but not as
many as in palisade cells. Air spaces between cells allow gaseous exchange – co2
to the cells, o2 from the cells during photosynthesis.
6. Lower epidermis Stomata are present to control the loss of water vapour (transpiration) from
the leaf. This is where carbon dioxide and oxygen enters and leave the leaf.
7. Stomata Each stoma is surrounded by a pair of guard cells. They control whether the
stoma is open or closed. When the guard cells are turgid (hard), the stoma
opens and when they are flaccid (soft), the stoma closes. Water vapour passes
out during transpiration. Co2 diffuses in and O2 diffuses out during
photosynthesis.

Adaptations of the leaf for photosynthesis

Adaptation Function
Thin Provides a short distance for carbon dioxide to move by diffusion
into the leaf
chloroplast containing chlorophyll Absorb light
Stomata Allows carbon dioxide to move by diffusion into the leaf
Guard cells To open and close the stomata depending on the conditions
Network of tubes (xylem and To transport water (xylem) and food (phloem)
phloem)
Air spaces around cells in the spongy To allow oxygen to get to the chloroplast as quickly as possible.
layer

Limiting factors and photosynthesis

A limiting factor is an environmental factor that directly affects the rate of photosynthesis on its own,
regardless of the levels of the other factors.

Limiting factor Explanation

1. Water Photosynthesis increases when the amount of water increases and
decreases when the amount of water decreases.
2. Light intensity Photosynthesis increases if the amount of light increases and decreasing
the amount of light decreases. However, there is a maximum point where
increasing the light intensity does not cause increase in photosynthesis. The
rate of photosynthesis stops increasing due to a different limiting factor. At
extremely high light intensity, the rate may decrease due to damage of
chlorophyll molecules.
3. CO2 concentration Photosynthesis decreases if the amount of carbon dioxide decreases and

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 increases if the amount of carbon dioxide increases until the plant has
enough or more than it needs at that point increasing the amount of carbon
dioxide does not cause an increase in photosynthesis.
4. Temperature There is an optimum or best temperature at which photosynthesis will
occur the fastest. If the temperature is too hot or too cold photosynthesis
will not occur.

Minerals and plant nutrition

Plants need minerals in order to grow and carryout activities. The most important minerals are
magnesium and nitrates.