1.5.4

Rate of Photosynthesis

Test yourself

The Rate of Photosynthesis

The four key factors affecting the rate of photosynthesis are:

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Temperature

  • Increasing the temperature increases the rate of photosynthesis because more energy is provided.
  • However, if the temperature is increased to above about 45°C, the enzymes that catalyse (speed-up) the reaction begin to denature (not work anymore).
  • This causes the rate of the reaction to drop sharply until it stops altogether.
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Light intensity

  • Increasing light intensity increases the rate of photosynthesis because more energy is provided.
  • However, if the light intensity is increased above a certain threshold, the rate of photosynthesis will not increase because another factor (such as temperature) is limiting the rate of the reaction.
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Carbon dioxide concentration

  • Increasing the carbon dioxide concentration increases the rate of photosynthesis because carbon dioxide is a reactant in photosynthesis.
  • However, above a certain threshold, further increases in the carbon dioxide concentration do not increase the rate of photosynthesis because another factor (such as light intensity) is limiting the rate of reaction.
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Chlorophyll concentration

  • High chlorophyll concentration gives a high rate of photosynthesis.

Jump to other topics

1Biology

1.1Cells, Tissues & Organs

1.2Reproduction & Variation

1.3Ecological Relationships & Classification

1.4Digestion & Nutrition

1.5Plants & Photosynthesis

1.6Biological Systems & Processes

2Chemistry

2.1Particles

2.2Chemical Reactions

2.3Atoms, Elements, Compounds

2.4The Periodic Table

2.5Materials & the Earth

2.6Reactivity

2.7Energetics

2.8Properties of Materials

3Physics

3.1Energy

3.2Forces & Motion

3.3Waves

3.4Electricity & Magnetism

3.5Matter

3.6Space Physics

4Thinking Scientifically

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