Tutorial #3: Photosynthesis - The Basis of Life

1) Basics of photosynthesis: Review the anatomy of the leaf and the cellular locations and organelles involved in photosynthesis. Describe and explain the role of oxygen, carbon dioxide, and nitrogen in photosynthesis. Describe and explain the role of water in photosynthesis. Describe the two phases of the photosynthetic process. How do they differ in terms of their inputs, outputs, energy requirements, and spatial locations in the plant?

Explain why Rubisco is possibly the most important protein on the planet.

Explain how the eruption of a large volcano could lead to changes in the earth’s atmosphere, and consequently, life on earth.

You are studying the carbon dioxide consumption at different levels of a forest. You have a portable leaf chamber and sensors attached to the data logger interface and can measure the photosynthetic rate of leaves on trees in a forest at different parts of the tree; high up, in the middle, and on lower branches. Below are the ‘raw’ data from your measurements. Assume all leaves completely cover the 9 cm2 chamber.
Find the CO2 exchange (umole/m2/s) for each species at each level in the trees. If you present this to the class, prepare a clear explanation of how you arrived at your answers.
Explain the differences between the values of CO2 exchange in the three levels. If you are presenting this to the class you should look for current studies about this topic and its ecological significance.

Using the data from the questions above, you are able to compare two forests with the same species of trees that were studied. These forests may have different climactic conditions. Below are the data you need to compare the two forests and their impact on atmospheric CO2.
Determine the total CO2 exchange of each forest. Again, make a clear explanation of your methods.