Class: Name: ( ) Date:

9 Nutrition and gas exchange

in plants
9.1 Nutrition in plants (Book 1B, p. 9-3)

A Plants as autotrophs (Book 1B, p. 9-3)

Plants can make their own food (in the form of (1) _______________) from
(2) _______________ _______________ and water using light energy through the process of
(3) _______________.

light energy
carbon dioxide + water carbohydrates + oxygen
chlorophyll

The light energy is trapped by the (4) _______________ in plants. (5) _______________ is
released as a by-product (副產物).
Plants absorb (6) _______________ (礦物質) from the soil. They are vital for the synthesis of
other materials needed by the plants.

oxygen
(into the air)
light

chlorophyll
photosynthesis carbohydrates
plant materials,
intermediates

e.g. enzymes,
carbon dioxide lipids chlorophyll,
(from air) cell membrane
and cell wall
proteins

minerals
water
(from soil)
(from soil)

▲ Plants make their own food by photosynthesis

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 Since plants are able to use simple inorganic substances to make the (7) _______________
substances (e.g. carbohydrates) they need, they are known as (8) _______________ (自養生物).
Their mode of nutrition is called (9) _______________ _______________ (自養營養).
Plants are (10) _______________ (生產者). They serve as the basic food source for other
organisms.

B Mineral requirements of plants (Book 1B, p. 9-4)

For healthy growth, plants need to absorb a variety of (11) _______________ in the form of
(12) _______________ (離子) from the soil.
The elements that form these mineral ions can be divided into two types:
(13) _______________ elements (大量元素) and (14) _______________ elements (微量元素).
Examples of major elements and their importance on plant growth:
Element Main function Deficiency symptom
Nitrogen For the synthesis of Poor growth
(N) (15) _______________ (16) _______________
leaves

Phosphorus For the synthesis of Poor growth, particularly

(P) (17) ______________ _____________ of (18) _______________
Required in some enzymatic reactions (19) _______________
patches on leaves

Potassium Promotes photosynthesis and the Poor growth

(K) transport in plants Curled-up leaves with
Required in some enzymatic reactions dark-coloured edges

Magnesium For the synthesis of Poor growth

(Mg) (20) _______________ Yellow leaves

Go to
Practical 9.1 Design an investigation of the effects of different minerals on plant growth
(Book 1B, p. 9-6; Practical Workbook for SBA 1B, p. 9-1)

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9.2 Gas exchange in plants (Book 1B, p. 9-8)

Plants exchange gases with the surrounding air by (1) _______________.

In terrestrial plants, (2) _______________ are the main sites of gas exchange. Gas exchange
also takes place through (3) _______________ and (4) _______________.

1 Gas exchange in leaves

Structure of a dicotyledonous leaf:

midrib (中脈)

network of
veins
leaf blade
(8) _______________
(角質層)
upper epidermis
(上表皮)

(5) _______________
_______________
xylem
(柵狀葉肉)
(木質部) vascular
phloem bundle
(韌皮部) (維管束)
(6) _______________
_______________
(海綿葉肉) air space

cuticle
lower epidermis
(下表皮)
(9) _______________
(7) _______________ _______________
(氣孔) (保衛細胞)

Structure Feature and function

A thin waxy layer covering the epidermis

Cuticle
Reduces (10) _______________ loss from the leaf surface

Upper and Protect the inner layers of cells

lower epidermis No chloroplasts except the (11) _______________ _______________

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 Palisade Made up of tightly-packed cylindrical cells that contain many
mesophyll (12) _______________

Spongy Made up of irregularly-shaped cells that contain fewer chloroplasts

mesophyll Many (13) _______________ _______________ among the cells

Pore on the epidermis where (14) _______________ _______________

Stoma takes place
Each surrounded by two (15) _______________ _______________

Contains chloroplasts
Guard cell
Controls the opening and closing of the stoma

(16) _______________ transports water and minerals

Vascular bundle
(17) _______________ transports food

How gas exchange takes place in leaves:

Gases in Gases out

i
3

2 ii

1 iii

Gases in Gases out

1 Gases from the environment diffuse into i Gases produced by the cells diffuse to the
the air space through the neighbouring cells.
(18) _______________. ii Gases diffuse to the moist surface of the
2 Gases (19) _______________ in the moist mesophyll cells.
surface of the mesophyll cells and diffuse iii Gases diffuse into the
directly into the cells. (20) _______________ _______________
3 Gases diffuse to the neighbouring cells. and diffuse out.

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 Structural adaptation of leaves for gas exchange:
Feature Adaptation
Broad and flat leaves Provide a large (21) _______________
_______________ for gas exchange

Thin leaves Reduce the diffusion distance of gases

Many (22) _______________ Allow gases to diffuse freely

_______________ among the spongy
mesophyll cells

(23) _______________ surface of Allows gases to (24) _______________ in it and then

the mesophyll cells diffuse into the cells easily

Presence of (25) _______________ Allow gases to pass into and out of the leaves freely
on the epidermis

Presence of (26) _______________ Regulate the rate of gas exchange by controlling the
_______________ opening and closing of stomata

2 Gas exchange in stems and roots

In herbaceous plants (草本植物), the stems also have (27) _______________ for gas exchange.
In woody plants (木本植物), gas exchange also takes place through small broken parts in the
cork layer called (28) _______________ (皮孔) on the stem.
Roots are not covered by (29) _______________. Gas exchange takes place all over their
surfaces.

3 What is the effect of light intensity on gas exchange in plants?

Plants produce (30) _______________ and consume (31) _______________ ______________
during photosynthesis. They produce (32) _______________ _______________ and consume
(33) _______________ during respiration. The net uptake and release of gases by a plant
depend on which process occurs at a faster rate.
(34) _______________ takes place all the time at a rather constant rate. However, the rate of
(35) _______________ is greatly affected by light intensity (光強度). Therefore, the net uptake
or release of gases by a plant would be affected by light intensity.

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 At high light intensity At low light intensity
(e.g. in the daytime) (e.g. at night)

photosynthesis
photosynthesis stops
O2
net exchange net exchange
CO2 of gas of gas

net release of O2 net uptake of O2

net uptake of CO2 net release of CO2

O2 O2
CO2 CO2
respiration respiration

The rate of photosynthesis is (39) _______________ stops and only

(36) _______________ (higher / lower) (40) _______________ occurs.
than that of respiration.
As a result, there is a net As a result, there is a net
(37) _______________ (uptake / release) (41) _______________ (uptake / release)
of carbon dioxide and a net of oxygen and a net
(38) _______________ (uptake / release) (42) _______________ (uptake / release)
of oxygen. of carbon dioxide.

The relationship between light intensity and carbon dioxide exchange in a plant:

net uptake
of CO2

compensation
point

net release
of CO2

darkness light intensity

A B C D E

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 Description
In the dark:
Only (43) _______________ takes place
CO2
A
O2 The plant releases carbon dioxide and takes in oxygen

Light intensity slowly increases as the morning comes:

Photosynthesis takes place at an increasing rate, using up more and
CO2
B more carbon dioxide
O2
Carbon dioxide released in respiration remains (44) ______________
Net release of carbon dioxide and net uptake of oxygen decrease

At (45) _______________ _______________ (補償點):

The rate of photosynthesis is (46) _______________ to the rate of
C respiration
No net exchange of gases

Light intensity increases further:

Photosynthesis occurs at a (47) _______________ rate than
CO2
D respiration
O2

Net uptake of carbon dioxide and net release of oxygen

Light intensity increases even further:

Net uptake of carbon dioxide does not increase
E CO2
O2 Another factor (e.g. carbon dioxide concentration) limits the rate of
(48) _______________

Go to
Practical 9.2 Examination of the structure of leaves
(Book 1B, p. 9-9; Practical Workbook for SBA 1B, p. 9-6)
Practical 9.3 Investigation of the effect of light intensity on gas exchange in plants using
hydrogencarbonate indicator
(Book 1B, p. 9-13; Practical Workbook for SBA 1B, p. 9-9)

Practical 9.4 Investigation of the effect of light intensity on gas exchange in plants using a
data logger
(Book 1B, p. 9-14; Practical Workbook for SBA 1B, p. 9-12)

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Answers
Ch 9 Nutrition and gas exchange in plants

9.1

1 carbohydrates 2 carbon dioxide 3 photosynthesis 4 chlorophyll 5 Oxygen

6 minerals 7 organic 8 autotrophs 9 autotrophic nutrition
10 producers 11 minerals 12 ions 13 major 14 trace
15 proteins 16 Yellow 17 nucleic acids 18 roots 19 Purple
20 chlorophyll

9.2

1 diffusion 2 leaves 3 stems 4 roots 5 palisade mesophyll

6 spongy mesophyll 7 stoma 8 cuticle 9 guard cell 10 water
11 guard cells 12 chloroplasts 13 air spaces 14 gas exchange 15 guard cells
16 Xylem 17 Phloem 18 stoma 19 dissolve 20 air space
21 surface area 22 air spaces 23 Moist 24 dissolve 25 stomata
26 guard cells 27 stomata 28 lenticels 29 cuticle 30 oxygen
31 carbon dioxide 32 carbon dioxide 33 oxygen 34 Respiration 35 photosynthesis
36 higher 37 uptake 38 release 39 Photosynthesis 40 respiration
41 uptake 42 release 43 respiration 44 constant 45 compensation point
46 equal 47 higher 48 photosynthesis

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