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9 It is expensive to add carbon dioxide to glasshouses. Suggest a suitable concentration of carbon dioxide to add
to a glasshouse in high light intensity, to obtain a good financial return from the sale of the crop. Explain your
answer.
Answers
Answer:
Carbon Dioxide (CO2)
Photosynthesis is the process which involves a chemical reaction between water and carbon dioxide (CO2) in the presence of light to make food (sugars) for plants, and as a by-product, releases oxygen in the atmosphere. Carbon dioxide currently comprises 0.04 percent (400 parts per million) of the atmospheric volume. It is a colorless and odorless minor gas in the atmosphere, but has an important role for sustaining life. Plants take in CO2 through small cellular pores called stomata in the leaves during the day. During respiration (oxidation of stored sugars in plants producing energy and CO2) plants take in oxygen (O2) and give off CO2, which complements photosynthesis when plants take in CO2 and give off O2. The CO2 produced during respiration is always less than the amount of CO2 taken in during photosynthesis. So, plants are always in a CO2 deficient condition, which limits their potential growth.