Study Guide for Photosynthesis Lab
1. Where are the stoma found on the leaf? What is the function of the stoma?
2. What is the function of chloroplasts?
3. Why are photosynthetic pigments more concentrated on the top of the leaf? What pigments
were separated?
4. Explain the process of chromatography. On what basis were the pigments separated in our
paper chromatography experiment? Which pigments moved fastest and slowest and why?
A process to separate substances/molecules using a solvent. In this experiment when
the solvent passes through a mixture of pigments that are spotted onto an adsorbent
paper (recall the leaf was rubbed onto the paper), the solvent dissolves the pigments,
creating a solution. The solution then moves up the chromatography paper through
capillary action, with the smaller pigments moving more quickly than the larger
pigments. At the end of the experiment, we should have seen different colored lines at a
specific place on the paper that each represents a specific pigment.
5. Define endergonic and exergonic. Define metabolism, anabolism, and catabolism. Which
(anabolism or catabolism) is endergonic? Which is exergonic?
6. Is photosynthesis endergonic orexergonic?
7. What is the simple equation for photosynthesis? (Know the reactants and the products)
8. In the photosynthesis experiment, how was photosynthesis assayed? Which treatment had the
highest rate of photosynthesis? Which tube had the lowest rate of photosynthesis? Why?
9. What was the purpose of including baking soda (sodium hydrogen carbonate) in the
photosynthesis experiment?