Академический Документы
Профессиональный Документы
Культура Документы
11/6/13
PhotosynthesisLabReport
Intro:
EveryAutumn,theleaveschangecolorandthestreetsbecomebeautifulwithorange,
yellowandredstyledtrees.Inautumnweforgetthecolorgreenandfocusonthebrillianceofall
theothercolors.Allgreenleavescontainapigmentcalledchlorophyll.Apigmentisanatural
coloringmatterofananimalorplanttissue,andthechlorophyllgivescolortotheleaf.Butasthe
autumndaysgrowshorter,lesschlorophyllisbeingproducedandthecolorgreenfadesaway.
Thatswhenthepigmentcarotenoidstepsin.Carotenoidisresponsibleforallthebrilliantcolored
leavesweseeinautumn,orange,yellow,andred.Thispigmentisnotdependentoflightsothe
levelsarenotdiminished.Butwhenthedaysgetlongerandbrighter,thecolorgreencomes
backtodothejob.Photosynthesisisamajorpartinaplantslife.Theprocessofphotosynthesis
absorbssunlightandturnsitintonutrientsfortheplant.InmyBiologyclass,wedidalababout
photosynthesis.WhileusingamachinecalledtheSpec20,informationoftheamountoflight
absorbedbychlorophyllisgathered.Forthisexperiment,putasampleofchlorophyllinatube
withliquidandincreasethenumberofwavelengthswiththemachine.Writedownthe
absorbancevaluesandusealightspectrumtoidentifythecolorofeachwavelength.The
questioninthislabwas,whatwavelengthoflightdrivesphotosynthesis?Myhypothesisisthat
Red,BlueandVioletwavelengthsdrivephotosynthesisbecausethosetwowavelengthsarethe
shortest,buttheycontainthemostenergyoutofalltheothercolors.Whichmeansthattheyhold
themostenergyinforphotosynthesis.
Conclusion:
BlueandVioletlightdrivephotosynthesisbecausetheyhavetheshortestwavelengthsbut
containthemostenergy.OntheAbsorptionSpectrumgraphandthedatatable,itisclearthat
thesetwocolorshavethelargestabsorbancevaluesthanalltheothers.ButBlueandVioletlight
areimportanttophotosynthesisbecausetheycanholdthemostenergyintogivetotheplant.
Thesurprisingthingisthatplantsaregreenbutgreenwavelengthsdontdrivephotosynthesis.
Asamatteroffact,greenwavelengthsgetreflectedwhichiswhyplantsaregreen.Thislabis
significantbecauseitteachesthefundamentalsofhowplantsgettheirenergy,howleaves
changecolor,andwhatwavelengthsdrivephotosynthesis,theprocessthatgiveslifetoalarge
percentageoftheworldwelivein.Likeeveryexperiment,errorsoccurred.Forexample,
fingerprintsanddustwereontherightspotofwherethelightpassesthroughintheSpec20,
causingthelighttogetcaughtandnotgivingthebestabsorbancevalues.Buterrorsarewhat
makemostexperimentssogreat!Yougettotryagainandagainuntilyougetthebestresults.
TheknowledgethatIreceivedfromthisexperimentbringsmanymorequestionstomymind.
Plantsthatareintheoceanneedsunlighttoo.Butisthereacertainwavelengththatcannot
travelthroughwater?Aregreenwavelengthsnotleftoutafterall,dotheyhaveaspotinthe
processofphotosynthesis?