Unity Academy Secondary School - Keranyo Branch

Biology for Grade-10

Unit-4: Food making and growth in plants

Thursday, May 21, 2020

From the previous lessons you have learned that:
- The internal structures of leaves are adapted for photosynthesis to take place.
- Leaves have a number of different tissues including the waxy cuticle, the epidermis,
the palisade mesophyll, the spongy mesophyll, the vascular bundles, the stomata and
guard cells.
- The different tissues of the plant leaf have different functions, e.g. waxy cuticle
prevents water loss, palisade mesophyll allows maximum photosynthesis, stomata allow
the diffusion of gases into and out of the leaf.

Answers for the previous questions

For exercise on page 140

1. menstrual 4. synapse 7. kidney 10. axon 13. ear

2. retina 5. khat 8. condom 11. reflex

3. eye 6. homeostasis 9. neuron 12. umami

On page 145
1. C 2. B 3. B

Photosynthesis and Transport

By the end of this section (from page 149-168) you should be
able to;
- Design a simple experiment to show the importance of light, chlorophyll and carbon
dioxide for photosynthesis.
- Explain how plants convert carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates by describing
the light and dark reactions.
- Explain the mechanism of water movement in plants.
- Describe transpiration, the factors affecting it and its implications for agriculture.
- Explain the mechanism of uptake of mineral salts through roots.
- Describe the movement of organic materials in the phloem.

Lesson-14 Light, chlorophyll and carbon dioxide

Objective: Design a simple experiment to show the importance of

light, chlorophyll and carbon dioxide for photosynthesis.

1. Design a simple experiment to show that light is necessary for

photosynthesis.

=> i. Take a plant with destarched leaves.

ii. Cover a part of a leaf with a strip of black paper.

iii. Place this plant in sunlight for 3-4 hours.

iv. Remove the black paper from the leaf.

v. Test the leaf for starch.

Observation
- The leaf turns blue-black except in the covered region.

- The covered region did not receive light and no starch was formed there due to
absence of photosynthesis.

- The uncovered region received light and starch was formed there due to presence
of photosynthesis.

- Therefore light is necessary for photosynthesis.

2. Design a simple experiment to show that CO2 is necessary for

photosynthesis.
=> i. Take two plants with destarched leaves.

ii. Take two glass bottles and put some KOH solution in one bottle- to
absorb the CO2 in the bottle.

iii. Insert a plant in each of the two glass bottles.

iv. Place the bottles in sunlight for 3-4 hours.

v. Test each leaf for starch.

Observation
- The leaf taken from the glass bottle containing KOH solution does not turn blue-
black on adding iodine solution.

- The leaf on the other bottle turns blue-black.

- Therefore CO2 is necessary for photosynthesis.

N.B. Carbon dioxide is found more or less everywhere. It is even produced by the
plants themselves as a result of cellular respiration, so getting hold of it isn't usually a
problem.

3. Design a simple experiment to show that chlorophyll is necessary

for photosynthesis.

=> For such an experiment, variegated leaves are used.

N.B. Variegated leaves are partly green (contain chlorophyll) and partly yellow or
creamy-white (do not contain chlorophyll).

i. Pluck the variegated leaf from the plant.

ii. Test the leave for starch.

Observation
- The green part turns blue-black.

- The white part does not turn blue-black.

- Therefore chlorophyll is necessary for photosynthesis.

Lesson-15 Reactions of photosynthesis

Objective: Distingush the two main reactions of photosynthesis

1. What are the two main reactions of photosynthesis in higher

plants? Distinguish between them.

=> Light-dependent reaction and light-independent reactions.

Light-dependent reactions
- occur in the presence of light

- Water (H2O) splits into hydrogen (H2) and oxygen (O2)

- ATP and NADPH are synthesized

- Takes place in the grana of chloroplast

- Reaction-1

Light-independent reactions
- Do not necessarily need light

- Carbon dioxide (CO2) from the atmosphere is converted into glucose

- ATP and NADPH are used up

- Takes place in the stroma of chloroplast

- Reaction -2. CO2 + H2 (NADPH) + ATP ----------> C6H12O6

The overall reaction of photosynthesis is;

Lesson-16 Transport in plants

Objective: Explain transport in plants

1. What is the need for transport in plants?

=> i. Securing water and mineral ions from the soil through the roots.
ii. Distributing food (organic nutrients) from the leaves to the different parts of
the plant where it is used up or stored. Root tubers, stems and leaves can all be
filled with starch to form storage organs. These enable plants to survive difficult
conditions and also to reproduce. Starch is also deposited in large amounts in many
fruits and seeds.

N.B.- Plants are said to have a double transport system because they transport water
and minerals through the xylem and dissolved food substances through the phloem.

- Transport systems rely heavily on osmosis, diffusion and active transport.

2. Distinguish between xylem and phloem.

=>

3. Briefly describe water transport in plants.

=> -Under normal circumstances, there is high concentration of water in the soil than
in the root cells.

- Water is taken up from the soil by root hairs by osmosis until it reaches the xylem
vessels.

- Water moves from the root up to the leaves of tall plants by transpiration pull.

- Transpiration is the loss of water (in vapor form) through the stomata of leaves.

- Transpiration pull is the force that pulls water from the soil to the top of plants as
water is lost from the leaves.

N.B. - The movement of the water in the xylem is due to transpiration and it is passive.
This means it uses no energy from the plant.

- The roots are covered with special cells, which have tiny hair-like extensions
called the root hairs. These root hairs increase the surface area for osmosis to take
place.

Lesson- 17 Transpiration

Objective: Describe transpiration, the factors affecting it and its

implications for agriculture.
1. Write the three main functions of transpiration in plants.

=> - It provides the force for lifting the water up the stems.
- It cools the leaves.

- It provides moist surface for gaseous exchange.

N.B. When transpiration is in excess; it causes the wilting of leaves.

2. Describe some factors that affect the rate of transpiration in plants.

=> - Light- It stimulates the stomata to open allowing gas exchange for
photosynthesis, and as a side effect this also increases transpiration.

- Temperature- When the air is warmer, the stomata will open and water is
released to the atmosphere, whereas colder temperatures cause the openings to
close.

- Humidity- As the relative humidity of the air surrounding the plant rises the
transpiration rate falls.

- Wind and air movement- Increased movement of the air around a plant will
result in a higher transpiration rate.

- Number of stomata- Increased number of stomata will result in a higher

transpiration rate.

3. List and explain the forces which are responsible for the movement
of water along the stem.

=> - Adhesion force- is the mutual attraction between unlike molecules that causes
them to cling to one another. Water is attracted to other substances like the xylem
vessels.

- Cohesion force- is the property of water molecules to stick to each other due to
mutual attraction. Water is attracted to water.

- Capillarity- is the tendency of water to rise in fine (narrow) tubes.

- Root pressure- is the pressure created in the root as a result of turgidity of the
root cells when water enters into them from the soil.

N.B. Transpiration pull is the major force which is responsible for the movement of
water along the stem from the root to the leaf. It is assisted by factors like adhesion,
cohesion, capillarity and root pressure.
Lesson- 18 Ways to reduce transpiration

Objective: List the different ways to reduce transpiration.

1. How is it possible to reduce transpiration in an agricultural field?

=> Transpiration can be reduced in a field by

- destroying unwanted weeds

- growing plants which transpire less

- reducing air movement over a crop by wind breaks

- removing damaged leaves

Figure- wind break (it reduce air movement over a crop)

2. Plants need to reduce the rate of transpiration through various

adaptations. List and explain.

-> - Stomata on the underside of the leaf- which reduces exposure of the leaf to
the sun.

- Waxy cuticles- water proof structures found on the surfaces of the leaf.

- Reduced number of stomata- which reduces water loss.

- Reduced number of leaves

3. What is a potometer?

-> - is a tool used for measuring the rate of water loss of a leaves of a plant.
- It also known as 'transpirometer'

- The major reason for water loss is transpiration and photosynthesis.

- Do review questions on page 169 (1-5) for number 3 see activity 4.2 on page 166

- Define the following key words

a. resurrection plants

b. radioactive tracers

c. global warming