Topic > Photosynthesis: An Introduction to the Process of…

Introduction: What is Photosynthesis, Photosynthesis is the process in which light energy is converted into chemical energy and stored in the chemical bond of sugar. All these reactions take place in structures called chloroplasts. During the process of photosynthesis, carbon dioxide, water and light are consumed to produce glucose and oxygen. Thus bringing us to cellular respiration, this is where plants consume glucose and oxygen and produce carbon dioxide, water and ATP energy molecules. To capture light energy for photosynthesis, chloroplasts absorb all light in the violet/blue and orange/red wavelengths. Almost all green/yellow light is rejected, which is why plants appear green. There are three pigments that are used during photosynthesis:1. First we pour 10 ml of infiltration solution and 30 ml of sodium bicarbonate into a small glass.2. We get 4 syringes of 10 ml with the plungers removed. 3. During this process we also used a soda straw to cut out 40 spinach leaf discs and inserted 10 spinach leaf discs into each syringe and carefully reinserted the plungers into each syringe. 4. Next we inserted the tips of the syringes into the glass of solution we had and drew 8 ml into each syringe, turning the syringes upside down so that the tip is facing upwards, we pressed the plungers to remove the air in the syringes without compressing the leaf discs.5. Sealing the tip of the syringes with our finger, we pulled back the plungers that forced the air out of the leaf discs, repeated these processes until all the leaf discs in each syringe stopped floating. 6. Next we put the syringes, with the tip pointing upwards, in front of the lamp that was assigned to us, which was a white light bulb. At 1 minute intervals we turn the syringes upside down to see how many leaf discs are floating and record this. We repeated this process until all the leaf discs were floating