2: Photosynthesis
- Page ID
- 25184
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By Drs. Ingrid Waldron, Linda Robinson, and Scott Poethig, Department of Biology, University of Pennsylvania, CC-BY-NC 4.0.
Students learn how to use the floating leaf disk method to measure the rate of net photosynthesis (i.e. the rate of photosynthesis minus the rate of cellular respiration). They compare the rate of net photosynthesis in water vs. a solution of sodium bicarbonate. The questions guide students in reviewing the relevant biology and interpreting their results.
- 2.1: Photosynthesis Protocol
- You will use the "floating leaf disk" method to measure the rate of photosynthesis. To begin, cut several disks from a spinach leaf and put these leaf disks in a cup of water. After you have a way of measuring the rate of net photosynthesis, you can investigate factors that influence the rate of net photosynthesis. You have already shown that net photosynthesis does not occur if CO2 is not available. What other changes in your experimental set-up might influence the rate of net photosynthesis?
- 2.2: Photosynthesis Teacher's Preparation Notes
- In Part 1, students will learn how to use the floating leaf disk method to measure the rate of net photosynthesis (i.e. the rate of photosynthesis minus the rate of cellular respiration). They compare the rate of net photosynthesis in water vs. a solution of sodium bicarbonate. In Part 2, students will design the investigation, get feedback on the design of their investigation while making any needed improvements, carry out the investigation, and analyze and interpret the results
Thumbnail: Chloroplasts in leaf cells of the moss Mnium stellare. (CC BY-SA 3.0; Thomas Geier via Wikipedia).