PLANTS
PHOTOSYNTHESIS
Photosynthesis is a reaction that needs a supply of energy from light using water and carbondioxide in order to make
food.
ENERGY FOR PLANTS
The energy is stored in the glucose made. The glucose is a soluble sugar ,which makes it difficult to be stored. Therefore
it is changed into a different kind of carbohydrate called starch which is insoluble in water .A Starch molecule is made up
of thousand molecule of glucose
Evaluation :
1. Where do plants get water and carbondioxide from?
MINERAL SALTS FOR PLANTS
Farmers often add fertilisers to the soil to provide mineral salts which make the plants grow. Plants need many different
kinds of mineral salts which include nitrate and magnesium. Nitrates is needed to make proteins which makes new cells
for growth and repair. While nitrates and magnesium are needed to make chlorophyll.
Plants which are lacking in nitrates are stunted(small) and yellow,while plants lacking in magnesium has its leaves
turning yellow.
EVALUATION :
1. Give two examples of mineral salts that are needed by plants
2. Explain why a plant that does not have enough magnesium will not grow well
3. How do plants absorb mineral salts from the soil .
WATER FOR PLANTS
Plants need water for various purposes namely:
For support :Plant cells contain a lot of water making the cells firm and strong.
For transport : The xylem is a long tube transporting water from the root upwards into the entire plant
For cooling :Waterreaches the leaves from the roots ,some of it evaporates into space absorbing heat energy thereby
cooling the surrounding that is hot .
FLOWER : POLLINATION,FERTLISATION,FORMATION OF FRUIT AND DISPERSAL OF SEEDS
Plants reproduce sexually with the help of flowers. Flowers comes in different colours,shapes ,shades and sizes .The
petals is the most colourful part of the flower which attracts insects while they search for pollen grains produced in the
anther as food.
The male gamete of the flower is the pollen grains produced in the anther ,while the ovule in the ovary in the stigma is
the female gamete.
Pollination is the transfer of pollen grains from the anther to the stigma of a flower. Pollination can be aided by
insects ,birds ,wind, animals or man
The fusion of the nucleus of the male gamete (pollen grain) and the nucleus of the female gamete (ovary) is called
zygote.
An ovule develops into a seed ,still inside the ovary which is also changed into a fruit.
Seeds produced needs to be separated from its parents for it to grow into a new plant .This is made possible by
dispersal .
CLASS ACTIVITY
Page 9 Activity 1.1.1
HOME FUN
Carbon CyclecCC
CARBON CYCLE
Carbon cycle shows the movement of carbon in elemental and combined states on earth. Diamond and graphite are the
elemental forms of carbon and in a combined state, it is found as carbonates in minerals and as carbon dioxide gas in the
atmosphere.
Carbon Cycle Definition
Carbon cycle is the process where carbon compounds are interchanged among the biosphere, geosphere,
pedosphere, hydrosphere, and atmosphere of the earth.
Carbon Cycle Steps
Following are the major steps involved in the process of the carbon cycle:
1. Carbon present in the atmosphere is absorbed by plants for photosynthesis.
2. These plants are then consumed by animals and carbon gets bioaccumulated into their bodies.
3. These animals and plants eventually die, and upon decomposing, carbon is released back into the atmosphere.
4. Some of the carbon that is not released back into the atmosphere eventually become fossil fuels.
5. These fossil fuels are then used for man-made activities, which pump more carbon back into the atmosphere.
Carbon Cycle Diagram
The carbon cycle diagram below elaborates the flow of carbon along different paths.
Carbon Cycle diagram showing the flow of carbon, its sources and paths.
Carbon Cycle on Land
Carbon in the atmosphere is present in the form of carbon dioxide. Carbon enters the atmosphere through natural
processes such as respiration and industrial applications such as burning fossil fuels. The process
of photosynthesis involves the absorption of CO2 by plants to produce carbohydrates. The equation is as follows:
CO2 + H2O + energy → (CH2O)n +O2
Carbon compounds are passed along the food chain from the producers to consumers. The majority of the carbon exists
in the body in the form of carbon dioxide through respiration. The role of decomposers is to eat the dead organism and
return the carbon from their body back into the atmosphere.
Oceanic Carbon Cycle
This is essentially a carbon cycle but in the sea. Ecologically, oceans take in more carbon than it gives out. Hence, it is
called a “carbon sink.” Marine animals convert carbon to calcium carbonate and this forms the raw building materials
require to create hard shells, similar to the ones found in clams and oysters.
When organisms with calcium carbonate shells die, their body decomposes, leaving behind their hard shells. These
accumulate on the seafloor and are eventually broken down by the waves and compacted under enormous pressure,
forming limestone.
When these limestone rocks are exposed to air, they get weathered and the carbon is released back into the atmosphere
as carbon dioxide.
Importance of Carbon Cycle
1. Even though carbon dioxide is found in small traces in the atmosphere, it plays a vital role in balancing the energy
and traps the long-wave radiations from the sun, acting like a blanket over the planet.
2. If the carbon cycle is disturbed it will result in serious consequences such as climatic changes and global
warming.
3. Carbon provides insulation by trapping the sun’s heat.
4. Carbon is the building block of life and forms stable bonds with other elements necessary for life. From proteins
and lipids to even our DNA.
Transpiration in Plants
Like all living organism, plants also require an excretory system to discharge excess water from their body. This process
of elimination of excess water from the plant body is known as transpiration. It is generally the evaporation of water from
the surface of the leaves.
During the process of transpiration, water molecules in the plant tissues are removed from the aerial parts of the plants.
Only a small amount of water absorbed by the plants is utilised in growth and development. The rest is eliminated in the
form of transpiration.
Types of Transpiration
There are three ways through which transpiration occurs in plants:
i. through the stomata in leaves
ii. lenticels (minute openings in the bark of branches) a
iii. through the cuticles (waxy covering on the surface of the leaves of the plants) during dry
seasons when everywhere is dryand stomata are closed.
Factors affecting transpiration in plants
Factors affecting the rate of transpiration are:
1. Light,
2. Humidity,
3. Temperature,
4. Atmospheric pressure,
5. Wind speed or velocity.
Significance of Transpiration in Plants
1. Transpiration helps in the conduction of water and minerals to different parts of the plants.
2. Due to the continuous elimination of water from the plant body, there is a balance of water maintained within the plant.
3. It keeps the cells rigid.
4. It helps in the upward movement of water in the plants.
5. It maintains the turgidity of the cells and helps in cell division.
6. It helps in the proper growth of the plants.
7. The cooling effect of a tree is due to the evaporation of water from its leaves.
ENVIRONMENTAL HAZARDS
This is the state of events or disasters which occur naturally and has the ability to damage the natural environment and
affect the health of the people there .
Examples include soil erosion,bush burning,flooding,deforestation ,desertification,depletion of the ozone layer etc.
SOIL EROSION
It can be defined as the process in which the topsoil is gradually worn off and carried away to other areas .
AGENTS OF SOIL EROSION
This include water ,wind and ice .Erosion moves bits and pieces of rock or soil from one place to another.
TYPES OF SOIL EROSION
1. Splash erosion : This is caused when raindrops forms small circular holes or pits in the soil
2. Sheet erosion : This is caused when loose particles are transported by the overflow of water on land
3. Gully erosion : This is formed after heavy rainfall,when the runoff water rapidly flows in narrow channels
forming gullies.
4. Rill erosion : This is the formation of many flow paths which functions as sediment source.
CAUSES OF SOIL EROSION
1. When the soil is too sandy with little organic matter or humus.
2. Excessive wind or rainfall.
3. Absence of vegetation cover leaving the land bare.
4. Overgrazing
5. Mining and other forms of excavation.
6. Bush burning
7. Deforestation
8. Urbanisation or industrialization
EFFECTS OF SOIL EROSION
1. Soil becomes less fertile
2. Fertilizers and other particles lead are washed into water bodies leading to water pollution .
3. It damages the foundation of houses .
4. It can cause danger to life and property
5. It can lead to isolation of some communities,schools,markets etc
6. It can lead to complete loss of farmland.
CONTROL OF SOIL EROSION
1. Controlled grazing
2. Planting of cover crops
3. Making of ridges
4. Terracing
5. Afforestation
6. Strip cultivation
7. Crop rotation
8. Damming of gullies
9. Making crossbar between ridges.
HOME FUN
1. Define soil erosion
2. List three agents of erosion
3. Name three types of erosion
4. Explain how erosion can be prevented