Photosynthesis: factors affecting the rate
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Threads
Why this why now
This unit builds on pupils’ prior learning from Coordination and control: maintaining a constant internal environment, where they explored how organisms regulate internal processes. It deepens their understanding by examining the factors that affect the rate of photosynthesis, such as light, temperature, and carbon dioxide. As the final unit in the big question, What are living things and what are they made of?, it reinforces pupils’ knowledge of how living organisms use energy to sustain life.
Prior knowledge requirements
- Producers, including plants, use a chemical process called photosynthesis to make their own food in the form of glucose (a type of carbohydrate).
- A balanced symbol equation to summarise the chemical reactants and products of the process of photosynthesis.
- Plant leaves are adapted for photosynthesis; they have stomata for gas exchange, to absorb carbon dioxide and release waste oxygen.
- Photosynthesis takes place in chloroplasts in cells that make up the aerial parts of plants.
- Chloroplasts contain a pigment called chlorophyll that absorbs light.
- Light is not a chemical reactant, but transfers energy to chlorophyll to enable photosynthesis to take place.
- Enzymes are the catalysts for many chemical reactions in living organisms.
- Photosynthesis involves many chemical reactions, catalysed by enzymes.
- Enzymes work best in optimum conditions and less well when conditions change away from the optimum.
Threads
Why this why now
This unit builds on pupils’ prior learning from Coordination and control: maintaining a constant internal environment, where they explored how organisms regulate internal processes. It deepens their understanding by examining the factors that affect the rate of photosynthesis, such as light, temperature, and carbon dioxide. As the final unit in the big question, What are living things and what are they made of?, it reinforces pupils’ knowledge of how living organisms use energy to sustain life.
Prior knowledge requirements
- Producers, including plants, use a chemical process called photosynthesis to make their own food in the form of glucose (a type of carbohydrate).
- A balanced symbol equation to summarise the chemical reactants and products of the process of photosynthesis.
- Plant leaves are adapted for photosynthesis; they have stomata for gas exchange, to absorb carbon dioxide and release waste oxygen.
- Photosynthesis takes place in chloroplasts in cells that make up the aerial parts of plants.
- Chloroplasts contain a pigment called chlorophyll that absorbs light.
- Light is not a chemical reactant, but transfers energy to chlorophyll to enable photosynthesis to take place.
- Enzymes are the catalysts for many chemical reactions in living organisms.
- Photosynthesis involves many chemical reactions, catalysed by enzymes.
- Enzymes work best in optimum conditions and less well when conditions change away from the optimum.
Biology
Photosynthesis: factors affecting the rate
This unit explores factors affecting photosynthesis rates and focuses on planning and conducting experiments. It includes selecting techniques, accurate measurements, data analysis, and evaluating methods to improve reliability and suggest further investigations.
4 lessons in unit
slide decks, worksheet PDFs, quizzes and lesson overviews. You can select individual lessons from the Photosynthesis: factors affecting the rate unit and download the resources you need, or download the entire unit now. See every unit listed in our AQA secondary biology curriculum and discover more of our teaching resources for AQA secondary biology programmes.