Title: Factors affecting photosynthesis - Photosynthesis - OCR Gateway - GCSE Combined Science Revision - OCR Gateway - BBC Bitesize
Headings: Factors affecting photosynthesis
Photosynthesis
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Factors affecting photosynthesis
Light intensity
Carbon dioxide concentration
Temperature
Chlorophyll
The compensation point

Content: At high temperatures, enzymes are denatured. Chlorophyll
Chlorophyll absorbs the light energy required to convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose. Chlorophyll is green - so absorbs the red and blue parts of the electromagnetic spectrum and reflects the green part of the spectrum. Leaves with more chlorophyll are better able to absorb the light required for photosynthesis. The compensation point
These graphs have been plotted with rate of photosynthesis against the factor under investigation. If oxygen production or carbon dioxide uptake is used as a measure of photosynthetic rate, the graphs are slightly different. The line does not go through the origin. This is because oxygen production and carbon dioxide uptake are affected by respiration as well as photosynthesis. Respiration uses oxygen and produces carbon dioxide. Below is a graph measuring the rate of photosynthesis plotted on carbon dioxide against light intensity: