Q. A scientist is conducting experiments with regards to photosynthesis. The scientist takes three plants, which are identical and feeds and waters them in exactly the same way. The only difference is the amount of sunlight that each plant is given.


  1. Plant number one is given 10 hours a day sunlight
  2. Plant number two is given 4 hours a day sunlight
  3. Plant number three is given 7 hours a day sunlight.


The plants were treated in this way for exactly 7 days, and not exposed to any other form of light except the sunlight as stated above. Which plant out of the three would you consider to produce the most glucose in the time given?


A. From these results I would consider the plant producing the most glucose will be the one exposed to the most sunlight, therefore in this case it would be plant number one. The act of photosynthesis produces glucose and oxygen, so the more photosynthesis that can take place the more glucose will be produced.


Q. A scientist is examining cells taken from the same plant. In the first cell sample the scientist counts an average of 26 chloroplasts, in the second sample there is an average of 57 chloroplasts and in the third sample there is an average of zero chloroplasts.


(a) From the information above suggest which of the three cell specimens would be likely to have the highest rate of photosynthesis.

(b) Suggest where the cell containing zero chloroplasts may have come from,, explain your answer.


A.


(a) From this information I would suggest that the cell specimen with the highest rate of photosynthesis would be the one containing the most chloroplasts, in this case the second sample which contained an average of 57.

(b) As there is no need for chloroplasts or chlorophyll in root hair cells, because photosynthesis does not take place underground or in places where no light can be received, I would suggest that the cell containing zero chloroplasts could possibly have come from the root or root hairs of the plant.


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