Laboratory Activity No.

4
Photosynthesis

Introduction
Photosynthesis is the process by which plants, some bacteria and protists use the energy
from the sun to produce glucose from carbon dioxide and water. This glucose can be converted
into pyruvate which releases adenosine triphosphate (ATP) by cellular respiration. Oxygen is
another by-product.
The conversion of usable sunlight energy into chemical energy is associated with the
action of the green pigment chlorophyll. Chlorophyll is a complex molecule and there are several
modifications of this that occur among plants and other photosynthetic organisms.

Set-up 1
Materials:
Baking soda solution Funnel Portable lamp
Aquatic plant Test tube Tap water
Beaker Match/ lighter

Preparation:
1. Place the aquatic plant in the beaker.
2. Cover it with a funnel and fill the beaker with the baking soda solution. To prepare for
baking soda solution, dissolve 3g of baking soda in 150ml of tap water.
3. Place a test tube containing water covering the lower part of the funnel.
4. Turn on a bright light and wait for around two to three hours.
5. After the test tube fills completely, carefully remove it from the tunnel and hold a
smoldering splinter or match up to it.
6. Observe what happens after.

Set-up 2
Materials:
10cc syringe Baking soda solution Beaker
Spinach leaves Portable lamp Tap water
Paper puncher Forceps Glass petri dish

Preparation:
1. Spinach leaves should be soaked overnight in cold water before using in the experiment.
2. Make 10 spinach disks using the paper puncher. The darker the spinach leaves, the
better; get samples in between the leaf veins. If the spinach disks stick to the puncher,
simply use the forceps to force them out.
3. Prepare for the baking soda solution in your beaker: dissolve 1g of baking soda in 100ml
of tap water.
4. Add the disks to the syringe. Use the forceps to push them down to the bottom of the
syringe.
 5. Put the syringe plunger and add a bit (5-7ml) of the baking soda solution to the syringe.
Get rid of all the air inside.
6. You can notice the leaves are still floating and your goal is to get them to sink. Hold your
thumb over the opening of the syringe; pull the syringe plunger a bit to the bottom and
slightly shake the leaf disks.
7. Push the syringe plunger up while keeping your thumb on the opening. Do this until all
your disks sink to the bottom.
8. Once your disks are at the bottom of the syringe, transfer them to the beaker with baking
soda solution. The leaves should sink down to the bottom of the beaker.
9. Put portable lamp over the top of the beaker. To avoid heating up the solution, put a glass
petri dish (half-filled with tap water) over the top of the beaker.
10. Leave the set-up for at least 1 hour. Observe what happens to the leaf disks.
11. Record the time of how long your disks (at least 5 leaf disks) float on top or half-way of
the baking soda solution in the beaker.

Set-up 3
Materials:
5-day old mongo & corn plants (1 set-up grown on a well-lit place and the other is in a dark
room)
Ruler

Preparation:
1. Observe the morphological structures of each plant set-up.
2. Measure the lengths of their leaves, stems, and roots. Record also the variations and
differences in the colorations of their leaves.
3. Tabulate all your observations. Separate tables for mongo & corn plants.

Guide questions:
1. What is the structure of a chloroplast? What is the equation for photosynthesis?
2. What do you think would happen if you only placed a plant in green light only?
3. Clearly explain the connection between photosystem I and photosystem II.
4. Where does the sugar come from that is used during cellular respiration?
5. Where does the oxygen come from that is used during cellular respiration?

Conclusion: