Photosynthesis: What’s in a Leaf?
What is the relationship between structure and function in a leaf?
Why?
What would the world be like without leaves—no grass for ball fields, no
beautiful landscaping? It would also mean no oxygen for animals and no
food for heterotrophs. Leaves are like living machines that recycle the
carbon and oxygen in our environment. This process, driven by the sun’s
energy, allows for a constant supply of oxygen and food for the
inhabitants of Earth.
1. List three things entering the leaf in Model 1.
2. List three substances leaving the leaf.
3. Which substance is both entering and leaving?
4. How is the substance you identified in Question 3 changed between its
entry and its exit?
5. Use the general equation for photosynthesis and Model 1 to answer
the following questions.
a. What are the reactants for photosynthesis?
b. Where do these reactants enter the leaf?
c. What are the products of photosynthesis?
d. From where do the products leave the leaf?
7. Categorize all the components involved in photosynthesis as either
matter or energy.
8. List the layers of the leaf starting at the upper cuticle all the way to the
lower cuticle.
