U6 Biology students design photosynthesis experiments

Our U6 biology students have been carrying out their own independently designed practical investigations.

Their investigations were carefully designed to measure the effect of one abiotic factor on the rate of oxygen produced from cut pondweed and link this to the rate of photosynthesis. This is just one of the practical skill areas that they have had to complete over the A level course.

Photosynthesis in plants is affected by a number of abiotic factors, for example light intensity, temperature and light wavelength.

Species of pondweed contain specialised tissue (aerenchyma) that allows gases to diffuse inside the plant. By cutting the aerenchyma, these gases will be released as bubbles that can be measured.

Through this carefully designed experiment, our Sixth Form biology students were able to record and measure the rate of photosynthesis in these particular species of pondweed.