The Metabolic Processes in

Plants
Objective: At the end of the lesson,
you should be able to describe the
different metabolic processes involved
in the plant organ systems.
•Metabolism in plants is the collection of
interrelated biochemical reactions that
maintain plant life. A series of metabolic
processes happen in different parts of the
plants such as leaves, stems, and roots.
These processes include photosynthesis,
respiration, and nitrogen fixation.
Photosynthesis is a series of complex processes
that convert light energy, carbon dioxide, and
water into glucose and oxygen. It takes place in the
leaves, and stems that contain chlorophyll (the
green pigments).
Respiration in plants is the metabolic
counter process of the photosynthesis
whereas the gases (CO2 and O2) enter
and leave through their stomata. During
the process, glucose (the product of
photosynthesis) is being used to produce
carbon dioxide and water. The general
equation for respiration is:
 Nitrogen fixation is a process of
converting nitrogen from the atmosphere
into ammonia by the nitrogen-fixing
bacteria called rhizobia. This process
usually happens in the roots of legumes.
The symbiotic relationship between the
nitrogen-fixing bacteria and the legumes
happens in the root nodules.
 Nitrogen fixation keeps the loss of nitrogen in the
atmosphere compensated. But the principal importance
of this process is useful in the field of agriculture.
Legumes such as peas, beans, and soybeans are used as
food for humans, as feeds for animals, and as green
manure which is used to upgrade spent agricultural land.
Nitrogen fixation is essential since the presence of
nitrogen in the atmosphere is inaccessible to plants
unless nitrogen is fixed.
Explore!
One of the limiting factors of the rate of
photosynthesis is the amount of carbon dioxide in
the atmosphere which is released by the animals.
This shows how the animals and plants are
dependent on each other. What will be the result
if more carbon dioxide is released into the
atmosphere while the population of the plant is
decreasing?
Key Points
 Metabolism in plants is the collection of interrelated biochemical
reactions that maintain plant life.
 A series of metabolic processes happen in different parts of the plants
such as leaves, stems, and roots. These processes include
photosynthesis, respiration, and nitrogen fixation.
 Photosynthesis is a series of complex processes that converts light
energy, carbon dioxide, and water into glucose.
 Respiration converts glucose (the product of photosynthesis) to
produce carbon dioxide and water.
 Nitrogen fixation is a process of converting nitrogen from the
atmosphere into ammonia by the nitrogen-fixing bacteria called
rhizobia.
 Any
Questions?