Photosynthesis Lab Report

There are two main types of chlorophyll, chlorophyll a which absorbs wavelengths of 430nm (blue) and 662 (red) and is the main photosynthetic pigment, and chlorophyll b, which doesn’t directly participate in the photosynthetic process, but is capable of donating its energy to chlorophyll a

Photosynthesis occurs each time the sun’s light reaches the lives of a plant. The chemical ingrediants for photosynthesis are carbon dioxide (CO2), a gas that passes from the air into a plant via tiny pores, and water (H20), which absorbed from the soil by the plant’s roots. Inside leaf cells, tiny structures called chloroplasts use light energy to rearrange the atoms of the ingrediants to produce sugars, most importantly glucose (C6H12O6) and other organic molecules. Chlorophyll gives the plant its green color (Simon, 02/2012, pp. 92-93). Chemical reactions transfers the sun’s light energy into the chemical bonds that hold energy-carrying molecules. The most common are

The process of photosynthesis, by which light energy is used to convert inorganic compounds into organic substances with the release of oxygen, may be the most important biological event sustaining life (Keir et al. 2017). In the light-dependent reactions, the chloroplasts of a plant use the pigment chlorophyll to convert light energy into chemical energy. This energy is used to split water and produce oxygen (Eller et al. 2015). The energy is later used in the light independent reactions, where carbon dioxide (CO2) undergoes carbon fixation with the aid of enzyme rubisco, because it catalyses both carboxylation and oxygenation reactions and most of responses of photosynthesis to light, CO2, and temperature (John Evans 2013).

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.

Photosynthesis. Springer, New York, New York. Campbell, N.A. 2002. Biology, 6th ed. Benjamin/Cummings Publishing Co,

In light reactions, light is absorbed by chlorophyll in the thylakoid membrane and energizes the electrons. ATP is created from ADP and P. NADP accepts electrons and turns in to NADPH, which is energy. Once the light reactions have taken place, the light-independent, or ‘dark’ reaction occurs in the stroma, where CO2 is converted to sugar. The

Photosynthesis occurs in all green plants and is the beginning of nearly all food chains therefore a source of life to all living organisms. It is the process where plants transform light energy from the sun into chemical energy. By using light energy trapped by chlorophyll (light absorbing pigment), plants combine carbon dioxide and water to form glucose and oxygen.

According to research previously done, the intensity of light only manages to increase the production of photosynthesis to a certain

Chlorophyll- a green pigment, present in all green plants responsible for the absorption of light to provide energy for photosynthesis.

This light is then converted into a chemical energy by the chlorophyll and other pigments within the plant. This energy is used for the process of photosynthesis. During photosynthesis, water molecules split apart, releasing electrons and hydrogen ions and producing oxygen gas. These electrons and hydrogen ions are then used to generate ATP and NADPH. Both ATP and NADPH are also used in the light independent reaction, which is the second part of photosynthesis. This reaction occurs in the stroma of the chloroplasts. In contrast to the light dependent reaction, this type of reaction can occur without light. During the light independent reactions of photosynthesis ATP and NADPH are required to form glucose. Adenosine triphosphate, often called ATP, is used to construct organic molecules from carbon dioxide and water. Nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide phosphate, often called NADPH, reduces carbon dioxide and produces monosaccharides for use by the plant.

The chloroplast contains the pigment chlorophyll which traps light energy (Yablonski, 16). Chloroplasts give leaves their green color by the pigments chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b, carotene and xanthophyll found in chlorophyll; the pigments chlorophyll a and b are separated from the other two pigments through chromatography to determine their absorbance levels (Griffith, 438). These pigments absorb and reflect certain wavelength of the visible spectrum which gives the leaf its green color; it absorbs wavelengths which are red and blue but reflect the yellow and green wavelengths of the spectrum making the leaf appear green in color to the human eye (Glover, et al, 505). Therefore the wavelengths which were reflected make up the colour of the leaves (Glover, et al, 505). This chromatographic separation was conducted to extract the different pigment in the chloroplast extract and to separate each of the different components (Quach, et al, 385). The wavelengths which are absorbed by each chlorophyll pigment are different and are based on the visible spectrum. Chlorophyll a obtains most of its energy from the violet blue, reddish orange and a low amount of the green-yellow-orange wavelengths regions of the visible spectrum compared to chlorophyll b which absorbs all the wavelengths not absorbed by chlorophyll a (Shibghatallah, et al, 3). From the results in the lab, it can be seen that the absorbance values determined fluctuate a lot, which resulted in a graph with more than one peak and downfalls. The highest peak determined by this experiment occurred at 660 nm for both chlorophylls. This can be confirmed by Schmid and his team who determined that the wavelength of chlorophyll a occurs between 660-680 nm whereas chlorophyll b absorbs wavelengths between 645-660 nm (Schmid, et al, 30). Thus, we can conclude by saying the spectroscopy helped us determine accurate

Plants use a process called photosynthesis to covert energy from the sun into energy they can use for their activities. The plant’s chloroplasts, along with water, carbon dioxide, and light are the essential elements required for photosynthesis to take place. The “photo” part of photosynthesis is in reference to the fact that the process requires light. The simplest form of the photosynthesis equation is:

Photosynthesis is a huge concept to learn and understand in the field of biology. Plants have their own special way of using the ATP they produce. Photosynthesis is a process where plants harness the sunlight they receive and they produce carbohydrates, as well as oxygen for living things and other plants. Now the sunlight ultimately powers the process of

     Photosynthesis has a two-stage performance before plants produce the two products they are known to produce. These stages are Photosystem I and II. Photosystem II is dependant on light reactions for energy which causes the electrons to be react and be transferred to Photosystem II. The electrons are transported through the Photosystem II electron transport system, however some energy is used to drive ATP synthesis. Meanwhile, light is being absorbed by the Photosystem I, which causes the electrons to react. This process sends the electrons to the Photosystem I transport system where some energy is released as electrons travel through the electron transport system and is captured as NADPH. When this process is completed oxygen is released from the plant and glucose has been

Global warming is a huge concern in society that is only growing bigger because people either are not well informed about it, or they are not concerned about it. Some think that it will just go away and others still believe that it doesn’t exist, even though there is hundreds if not thousands of pieces of evidence that supports otherwise. One of the biggest pieces of evidence that proves global warming is real is the effect that photosynthesis has on global warming.