Photosynthesis Formal Lab Report Essay examples

The green pigment involved in photosynthesis is chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is green in appearance because it absorbs red and blue light, making these colours unable to be seen. It is the reflection of the green light that reaches out eyes, giving chlorophyll a green colour. This green light that can be seen cannot be used by the plant for photosynthesis. Therefore, theoretically growth should be inhibited in the plants only exposed to green light.

The purpose of this lab is to observe the effect of white, green, and dark light on a photosynthetic plant using a volumeter and followed by the calculation of the net oxygen production using different wavelengths color of white and green light, and also the calculation of oxygen consumption under a dark environment, and finally the calculation of the gross oxygen production.

In the beginning of this experiment, our TA added water, salt, and 75/25 hexane/acetone to spinach leaves to a blender and blended the mixture to assume equal amounts for each group and to avoid erros if each student had to do the blending. The addition of the water to the mixture allowed the it to separate into a distinct organic layer after being run in a centrifuge, which was available to be collected at the top of the centrifuge. Salt reduces solubility, which will force the organic parts of the mixture (the desired pigments for example) to separate into the organic layer at the top. Lastly, 75/25 hexane/acetone is added because this is a moderately polar solvent and will useful for both the non-polar and polar pigments present within the spinach leaves. A mixed solution of hexanes and acetone must be used because acetone is very polar, while hexane in very non-polar, and the spinach leaves contain both non-polar and polar pigments in them that are important in the extraction and for further analysis. The mixture was placed in the centrifuge so the solids in the mixture (mostly cellulose) could be separated from the liquids into separate distinct layers for further extraction and testing. In the tube, the organic substances separated into the top layer, whereas the water layer remains at the bottom of the tube below the solid layer made up of mainly cellulose.

Abstract: The purpose of this lab is to separate and identify pigments and other molecules within plant cells by a process called chromatography. We will also be measuring the rate of photosynthesis in isolated chloroplasts. Beta carotene, the most abundant carotene in plants, is carried along near the solvent front because it is very soluble in the solvent being used and because it forms no hydrogen bonds with cellulose. Xanthophyll is found further from the solvent font because it is less soluble in the solvent and has been slowed down by hydrogen bonding to the cellulose. Chlorophylls contain oxygen and nitrogen and are bound more tightly to the paper than the other pigments.

During the separation of the pigments by chromatography paper, chlorophyll b traveled the shortest distance, chlorophyll a went above it, and the highest went beta carotene. This

Animal coloration is due to pigmentation found in the skin, feathers, and fur. Pigments are chemical substances produced in animals, which are accountable for coloration in living things. Pigments absorb some wavelengths of light and reflect specific wavelengths of visible light. The visible light that is reflected is what is seen (Biological Pigments 2010). Chromatophores are also important. These are pigment containing cells that are in the deep layers of the skin in animals. Chromatophores can be identified as melanophores (black), erythrophores (red), xanthophores (yellow), or lecophores (white) based on the color of the pigments. The dispersal of these cells and the pigments and their orientation determine the color

The hypothesis is that the color of the leaf will affect the rate of photosynthesis,

The purpose of this experiment was to take spinach leaves and extract the chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments by using acetone as the solvent. The chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments were extracted by using column chromography and alumina was used as the solvent. Solvents of different polarities were used, starting with the least polar, to extract the certain components from the leaves. They were then analyzed by using thin- layer chromatography.

Photosynthesis is essential to all living organism such as animals and plants. Photosynthesis is a process used by plants and other autotrophs to capture light energy and use it to power chemical reaction that converts carbon dioxide and water into oxygen, carbohydrates and water. (Textbook: Principles of Biology). The reactants and the products of photosynthesis are:

However, the photosynthetic process can be affected by different environmental factors. In the following experiment, we tested the effects that the light intensity, light wavelength and pigment had on photosynthesis. The action spectrum of photosynthesis shows which wavelength of light is the most effective using only one line. The absorption spectrum plots how much light is absorbed at different wavelengths by one or more different pigment types. Organisms have different optimal functional ranges, so it is for our benefit to discover the conditions that this process works best. If the environmental conditions of light intensity, light wavelength and pigment type are changed, then the rate of photosynthesis will increase with average light intensity and under the wavelengths of white light which will correspond to the absorption spectrum of the pigments. The null hypothesis to this would be; if the environmental conditions light intensity, light wavelength and pigment type are changed, then the rate of photosynthesis will decrease with average light intensity and under the white light which will correspond to the absorption spectrum of the pigments.

One method of analyzing chlorophyll-a that has been developed is through chlorophyll extraction. In order to perform this method one must first collect a fairly large water sample (see Plankton Web citation for surface water sampling techniques). This sample must then be filtrated in order to concentrate the chlorophyll-containing organisms (see Plankton Web for filtration methods). Finally mechanical rupturing of the collected cells, and extraction of the chlorophyll from the

Without photosynthesis we would not be able to receive energy. We should be more appreciate of plants, without them we would not survive. This paper will explain the basic components require for photosynthesis, the role of chlorophyll, how energy is transferred, and photosystems I and II and the most precious product results of photosynthesis.

Chromatography Investigation Chromatography is a highly regarded technique used to separate the components of a mixture. It is based on the principle that each component possesses a unique affinity for a stationary phase and a mobile phase. The components that are more inclined to enter the mobile phase will migrate further on the chromatogram and distinguish themselves from the other components. The type of solvent used in chromatography is known to directly affect the separation of the mixture. In this experiment, thin-layer and column chromatography will be utilized to separate the numerous chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments of a spinach extract.

     Photosynthesis is a biochemical process in which plant, algae, and some bacteria harness the energy of light to produce food. Nearly all living things depend on energy produced from photosynthesis for their nourishment, making it vital to life on Earth. It is also responsible for producing the oxygen that makes up a large portion of the Earth¡¦s atmosphere. Factors that affect photosynthesis are light intensity and wave length, carbon dioxide concentration, and temperature.

Objective: To understand the processes of photosynthesis and what variables can affect the process of synthesizing sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide into sugars that fuel all living organisms. By manipulating the type of light color and the rate of which it takes the leaves to process each type of light color.