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.

Model 1 – Leaf Sun-Catcher

Sunlight
(energy)

Water
(liquid)

rs
Suga
central
vein
Water
Water (gas)
(gas)

Oxygen
Carbon dioxide

General Equation for Photosynthesis

Reactants Products
light
carbon dioxide + water energy
⎯⎯→ sugars + oxygen

1. List three things entering the leaf in Model 1.

waterH2o carbondixoide co andsunlight

2. List three substances leaving the leaf.

watergas oxygen gas glucose

3. Which substance is both entering and leaving?

water
4. Veins are important structures that carry materials through the leaf. Label the central vein in the
leaf diagram.

Photosynthesis: What’s in a Leaf? 1

 5. How is the substance you identified in Question 3 changed between its entry and its exit?
enters the plantFrom rootsliquid leaves as a gasfromevaporation

6. Use the general equation for photosynthesis and Model 1 to answer the following questions.
a. What are the reactants for photosynthesis?
6Coz GHzo sunlight
b. Where do these reactants enter the leaf?
veins
Oz Stomata tho
c. What are the products of photosynthesis?

Cotti20 glucose 602

d. From where do the products leave the leaf?
stomata
glucose vein 60 stomatawatergas
7. Categorize all the components involved in photosynthesis as either matter or energy.

Catino6

Model 2 – Cross Section of the Internal Structure of a Leaf

Cuticle
Upper epidermis
Chloroplast
Palisade mesophyll

Vein
Air Space
Spongy mesophyll
Lower epidermis i Cuticle
Guard cell i Stoma
600
H
8. List the layers of the leaf starting at the upper cuticle all the way to the lower cuticle.

cuticleepidermis
upper mesophyll
palisade
mesophyll
spongyepidermis
2 lower POGIL™ Activities for High School Biology
cuticle
Read This!
Inside plant veins are two different types of tissues. Xylem carries water and minerals up from the roots of
the plant and phloem carries the sugars (nutrients) away from the leaf to areas where the plant is growing
or to storage areas in the plant.
9. Describe the position of the vein(s) in each model.
a. In the leaf in Model 1. of
patterns
in center of the leaf lookslike roads
b. Within the leaf cross section in Model 2.
betweenpalisadeandsponFesophyll
10. How does the placement of veins help to carry out their function of transporting materials to
and from the leaf? access toPalisademesophyllthe
Placementgives thoeasy
Planewhere Photolysisoccurs
11. Look back at your answers to Questions 1–3 and the photosynthesis equation. In the appropriate
locations on Model 2, mark with labels and arrows what is entering the leaf and what is exiting
the leaf.

12. Which kind(s) of cells have chloroplasts in them?

Palisade mesophyll
13. Remembering the function of chloroplasts, in which part(s) of the leaf is photosynthesis taking
surface where lightenergy is at its highestintensity
place? upper

14. The green color of chloroplasts is due to a pigment in them that absorbs light energy. Knowing
this, infer which layer inside a leaf gives the whole leaf its green color. Write one complete sen-
tence to express your reasoning. responsibleformaking
packedchlorophyllthis is
thePalisade mesophyll contains densely

the leafgreen
15. Through which layer(s) does light energy travel to reach the palisade mesophyll?
Throughthe cuticleandupper
epidermis

16. List at least three differences between the cells of the palisade mesophyll and the cells that make
up the other areas within the leaf.
andlongarrangemen
1 Shape columns 3 dense
2 wtf gyroBagged
ofcolumn shapedcells
17. How would the cylindrical shape of the palisade mesophyll cells increase the amount of photo-
synthesis that the leaf can carry out? shorterlightmay
amountof radiant energy ifany
thelongcylinderwill capturethe most
passthrough unabsorbed

Photosynthesis: What’s in a Leaf? 3

 18. What would be the advantage(s) to having no chloroplasts in the cells of the spongy mesophyll?
cellswould besmaller givingroomfor air spaces forgasexchangewouldalso
veinsthere
19. Suppose there were many chloroplasts in the cells of the upper epidermis. How would that
change the amount of sunlight reaching the chloroplasts in the palisade layer?
itwould reducethe amountseenbythe palisade layer
20. Considering its locations and your previous knowledge of the word, what do you think might be
the function of the epidermis? A
of stomata
protectionand allow Fur openingclosing

Read This!
The cuticle covering the upper and lower epidermis of land plants is made of a waxy substance that repels
water in much the same way as wax on a paper cup.
21. What is the purpose of having a water-tight covering?
canmaximize photosynthesis
isnot
Sowaterwon't be
lost
by and whichwouldcause
evaporation
insidecells
reactants takenfrom
the plantto wilt
22. Look carefully at the lower surface of the leaf in Model 2.
a. What structure is found between guard cells?
stoma
b. How would you describe this structure? cells
forms as agap betweengourd
itisa pore that
c. How would this affect the ability of the leaf to retain water especially in dry conditions?
whenclosedwaterretention is at its highest it's thesafestarrangement
for stomata in dry conditions

4 POGIL™ Activities for High School Biology

 23. Suggest a way in which the stoma and guard cells arrangement might work to control the
amount of water that is leaving the leaf. turnedintogas
AT
to evaporatethe
open allowing light
energy
Stomacould

stoma isthat
24. What is the relationship between the stoma and an air space?
plant
airspace is a way for Hoo gas to leavethe
Feathering
25. Looking back at Model 1, what gases might you find inside the air spaces?

H2o gas oxygen

26. During the time that stomata (the plural of stoma) are closed, gases cannot enter or leave.
Explain how this would affect the plant’s ability to do photosynthesis. th
Thereis only room for a certainamount ofgaspiggyngie's's 4 55
27. How would the cuticle and stomata work together to maintain the leaf ’s function?

it there is to much water cuticle could release this

stomataopen to evapate it
or have the
the stomata
extra out
28. In grammatically correct sentences, trace the path of the reactants for photosynthesis as they
enter the leaf.

sunlight to 6420 from 6h20 to 602

29. In grammatically correct sentences, trace the path of the products of photosynthesis as they exit
the leaf.

60 to 06hr06

Photosynthesis: What’s in a Leaf? 5

Extension Questions
30. Plants that live on the floor of forests tend to have much larger leaves than plants than live in
hot, sunny conditions. Offer an explanation for this in which you refer to specific parts of the
internal structure of a leaf.
with how it rains and how the
mostly hassomething todo the would beable
it Possibleabsorbstoo
much water stomata
couldbecausetheir
needa
plantsrootoften lessneat
leaves
the larger
sunlight
toopensurface to collectall the
more

larger
31. Cacti are plants that live in extremely dry environments. Unlike most other plants, cacti do not
have regular leaves, but instead have spines. They do have green stems. How would the lack of
regular leaves help cacti survive in their environment? In what part of the cacti would photosyn-
thesis occur? have a slightadvantage becausetheirstomaonlyopen at nightwhenitscool
cactimuch moisture
aspossible
sotheycansave as

32. Thinking about the structure and function of leaves, work with your group to propose modi-
fications you might expect to see in the leaves of aquatic plants. Use the space below to make a
sketch of the modified leaf, justifying what you include as well as what you leave out.

imma
33. Use your knowledge of plant cell structure to answer each of the following questions:
a. Where might water be stored for later use in the process of photosynthesis.

the vacuoles
b. What might plant cells do with the sugars made during photosynthesis? photosynthesis
store them or use some to power theplantthrough
more
either

c. How does having cells with walls help a leaf to absorb as much energy as possible?
because of its rigid strongerstructure waterwill notchangethe
of the cell at all
shape

6 POGIL™ Activities for High School Biology

no