Nutrition and gas exchange

9 in plants
9.1 Nutrition in plants
1 Plants are autotrophs (自養生物). They make their own food by photosynthesis (光合作用):

oxygen
(released into air)
Photosynthesis
carbon dioxide
from air
carbon light energy
water carbohydrates + oxygen
dioxide + chlorophyll
intermediates proteins
(中間生成物)
lipids
water minerals
from soil from soil used to produce useful substances
such as enzymes and chlorophyll

2 The word equation for photosynthesis:

light energy
carbon dioxide + water carbohydrates + oxygen
chlorophyll

3 Plants are important because they are producers (生產者) in the ecosystem
(生態系) and serve as the basic food source for other organisms.
4 Plants require minerals for making useful substances like enzymes and chlorophyll. These
minerals are absorbed in the form of ions from the soil by roots.
5 The elements provided by the mineral ions can be divided into two groups:
- Major elements (大量元素): Plants need them in relatively large amounts.
- Trace elements (微量元素): Plants need them in very small amounts.
6 Plants may suffer from deficiency diseases if any of the elements is insufficient.

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7 The functions and deficiency symptoms of some major elements in plants:

Form in soil absorbed

Element Main function Deficiency symptom
by plants

Nitrogen Nitrate ions (NO3−) and - For the synthesis of amino - Poor growth
(N) ammonium ions (NH4+) acids, proteins, nucleic - Yellow leaves
acids and chlorophyll (chlorosis (萎黃病))

Phosphorous Phosphate ions - For the synthesis of cell - Poor growth

(P) (PO43−) membranes, ATP and - Leaves turn purple
nucleic acids - Roots poorly
- Required in some developed
enzymatic reactions

Potassium Potassium ions - Promotes photosynthesis - Poor growth

(K) (K+) and transport in plants - Blackened leaf
- Required in some edges
enzymatic reactions

Magnesium Magnesium ions - For the synthesis of - Poor growth

(Mg) (Mg2+) chlorophyll - Yellow leaves
(chlorosis)

9.2 Gas exchange in plants

1 Plants exchange gases with the surrounding air. In terrestrial plants, gas exchange takes place
through:
- stomata (氣孔) on leaves and herbaceous stems,
- lenticels (皮孔) on woody stems,
- the surface of roots.
2 In the leaves of submerged plants (浸沒植物) (e.g. seagrass, Hydrilla and Elodea), there are no
cuticle and stomata. Gas exchange takes place over the leaf surface.
3 In the leaves of floating plants (漂浮植物) (e.g. water lily), there are stomata in the upper
epidermis only. Gas exchange takes place mainly through these stomata.

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4 Structure of a terrestrial dicotyledonous leaf:

cuticle (角質層)

upper epidermis
(上表皮)

xylem palisade mesophyll

(木質部) (柵狀葉肉)
vascular
bundle phloem
(維管束) (韌皮部)
air space spongy mesophyll
(海綿葉肉)
guard cell
(保衛細胞) lower epidermis
stoma (下表皮)

5 Features and functions of different structures of a dicotyledonous leaf:

Structure Feature and function

Epidermis - The cells contain no chloroplasts, except the guard cells

- Protects the inner layer of cells

Guard cells - Contain chloroplasts

- Control the opening and closing of the stoma

Stomata - Each surrounded by two guard cells

- Allow gases to diffuse into and out of the leaf
- More in the lower epidermis than in the upper epidermis

Cuticle - A thin waxy layer

- Prevents excessive water loss by evaporation from the leaf

Mesophyll Palisade - Made up of cylindrical and closely-packed cells

mesophyll - The cells contain many chloroplasts

Spongy - Made up of irregularly-shaped and loosely-packed cells

mesophyll - Large air spaces among cells
- The cells contain fewer chloroplasts

Vascular Xylem - Transports water and minerals

bundle
Phloem - Transports organic nutrients

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6 The process of gas exchange in the leaf of a terrestrial dicotyledonous plant:

Gases IN Gases OUT

 Gases in these cells  Gases produced by the

diffuse to the cells diffuse to the
neighbouring cells. neighbouring cells
towards the air space.

 Gases dissolve in the

water film on the
 Gases diffuse to the
surfaces of mesophyll water film on the
cells and then diffuse
surfaces of mesophyll
into the cells.
cells.

 Gases from the

environment diffuse  Gases diffuse into the air
into the air space space and diffuse out
through the stoma. through the stoma.

7 Structural adaptation of leaves for gas exchange:

Feature of leaf Adaptation

Leaves are broad and flat. There are These provide a large surface area for gas
numerous leaves in a plant. exchange.
Whole leaf

Leaves are thin. This shortens the diffusion distance of

gases between the plant body and the
atmosphere.

Spongy mesophyll cells are loosely packed. This provides a large surface area for gas
exchange.

There are numerous air spaces among the This allows gases to diffuse freely.
Internal structure of leaf

spongy mesophyll cells.

There is a water film on the surfaces of the This allows gases to dissolve and then
mesophyll cells. diffuse into or out of the cells.

There are stomata in the epidermis. This allows gases to move into and out of
the leaves freely.

There are guard cells surrounding the This allows the rate of gas exchange to be
stomata. regulated by controlling the opening and
closing of stomata.

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8 As respiration takes place at a rather constant rate throughout the day but the rate of
photosynthesis varies with light intensity, the net uptake and release of gases by a plant
depends on the relative rates of photosynthesis and respiration:

light
energy
CO2 O2 NET release
Photosynthesis of O2

food
Daytime

CO2 O2 NET uptake

Respiration of CO2

release energy
for use

- In the daytime, the rate of photosynthesis is higher than that of respiration.

- More carbon dioxide is used in photosynthesis than is released in respiration.
- More oxygen is released in photosynthesis than is used in respiration.
- There is a net uptake of carbon dioxide and a net release of oxygen.

NET uptake
Photosynthesis
of O2

food
NET release
At night

CO2 O2 of CO2
Respiration

release energy
for use

- At night, photosynthesis stops and only respiration occurs.

- Oxygen is used and carbon dioxide is released in respiration.
- There is a net uptake of oxygen and a net release of carbon dioxide.

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9 The effect of light intensity on the exchange of carbon dioxide in a plant:

net uptake
of carbon
dioxide compensation rate of photosynthesis
point (補償點) higher than rate of
respiration

net release rate of photosynthesis

of carbon lower than rate of
respiration
dioxide

light intensity

Relative rates of photosynthesis and

Light intensity Net gas exchange
respiration

No light Only respiration takes place - Net uptake of oxygen

- Net release of carbon
Low light intensity Rate of photosynthesis is lower than rate of
dioxide
respiration

At compensation Rate of photosynthesis equals rate of - No net gas exchange

point respiration

High light intensity Rate of photosynthesis is higher than rate of - Net uptake of carbon
respiration dioxide
- Net release of oxygen

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