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

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At low light intensities the increase in the rate of photosynthesis is linear
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At some point a factor becomes limiting. For instance, if carbon dioxide becomes the limiting factor the supply of carbon dioxide is not sufficient to keep pace with the increasing rate of reaction. previous
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Any additional increase in light intensity will not increase the rate of reaction any further. At very high light intensities, photosynthesis is slowed and then inhibited, but these light intensities do not occur in nature. Carbon dioxide concentration
Carbon dioxide - with water - is one of the reactants in photosynthesis. If the concentration of carbon dioxide is increased, the rate of photosynthesis will therefore increase. Again, at some point, a factor may become limiting. Temperature
The chemical reactions that combine carbon dioxide and water to produce glucose are controlled by enzymes. As with any other enzyme-controlled reaction, the rate of photosynthesis is affected by temperature. At low temperatures, the rate of photosynthesis is limited by the number of molecular collisions between enzymes and substrates.