In a semester-long experiment tracking growth in plants, your lab partner—who often skips class—carefully records the mass of water added to a potted plant with the expectation that this addition will be fully accounted for in the mass gained by the plant. Is your lab partner right or wrong? Explain.

Verified step by step guidance

1. Step 1: Understand the question. The question is asking whether the mass of water added to a plant will be fully accounted for in the mass gained by the plant.
2. Step 2: Recall the concept of photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants and some other organisms use sunlight to synthesize foods with the help of chlorophyll pigments. In this process, plants convert carbon dioxide and water into glucose and oxygen. The chemical equation for photosynthesis is: 6CO2 + 6H2O + light energy = C6H12O6 + 6O2.
3. Step 3: Apply the concept of photosynthesis to the question. The water added to the plant is used in the photosynthesis process to produce glucose and oxygen. However, not all the water added to the plant is used in photosynthesis. Some of it is lost through transpiration, a process where water is lost from the plant to the atmosphere.
4. Step 4: Conclude the answer. Your lab partner is wrong. The mass of water added to the plant will not be fully accounted for in the mass gained by the plant because some of the water is lost through transpiration.
5. Step 5: Explain the importance of understanding this concept. Understanding the process of photosynthesis and transpiration is crucial in biology as it helps us understand how plants grow and survive, and how they contribute to the carbon and water cycles in nature.

Key Concepts

Photosynthesis

Photosynthesis is the process by which green plants, algae, and some bacteria convert light energy into chemical energy, using carbon dioxide and water to produce glucose and oxygen. This process is essential for plant growth, as it provides the energy and organic compounds necessary for cellular functions and biomass accumulation.

Water's Role in Plant Growth

Water is crucial for plant growth as it serves multiple functions, including acting as a solvent for nutrients, participating in photosynthesis, and maintaining turgor pressure for structural support. However, not all water added to a plant contributes directly to its mass, as some is lost through transpiration and not all is converted into biomass.

Mass Balance in Plant Growth

Mass balance in plant growth refers to the relationship between the mass of inputs (like water and nutrients) and the mass of outputs (like biomass and waste). While your lab partner expects the mass of water added to equal the mass gained by the plant, this is an oversimplification, as factors like water loss and metabolic processes affect the actual mass increase.