Back to the full dot-point answer
VICBiologyQuick questions
Unit 3: How do cells maintain life?
Quick questions on Photosynthesis (light-dependent and Calvin cycle): VCE Biology Unit 3
11short Q&A pairs drawn directly from our worked dot-point answer. For full context and worked exam questions, read the parent dot-point page.
What is location?Show answer
The thylakoid membranes and the lumen they enclose, inside the chloroplast.
What are inputs?Show answer
Light energy (absorbed by chlorophyll in photosystems II and I), water, ADP and inorganic phosphate (Pi), and NADP+.
What are outputs?Show answer
Oxygen, ATP and NADPH.
What is light intensity?Show answer
Rate rises with intensity until another factor becomes limiting. Very high intensity can damage chlorophyll (photoinhibition).
What is cO2 concentration?Show answer
Rate rises with CO2 up to a plateau. CO2 is typically the limiting factor at high light.
What is temperature?Show answer
Rate rises with temperature up to an optimum (around 25 to 35 degrees Celsius for most C3 plants), then falls as enzymes such as RuBisCO denature. At high temperatures RuBisCO also reacts with O2 (photorespiration), wasting fixed carbon.
What is water availability?Show answer
Low water closes stomata, reducing CO2 entry.
What is chlorophyll and wavelength?Show answer
Chlorophyll absorbs red and blue light strongly and reflects green; rate is highest under red and blue light.
What is q1?Show answer
State the inputs, outputs and location of the light-dependent and light-independent stages of photosynthesis in a C3 plant. [4 marks]
What is q2?Show answer
A C3 plant and a C4 plant are grown side-by-side at 35 degrees C and high light. The C4 plant grows faster. Explain in terms of photorespiration and RuBisCO.
What is q3?Show answer
Refer to factors affecting photosynthesis. (a) Sketch the expected rate response to increasing light intensity. (b) Explain why rate plateaus despite further light increase.