Factors affecting photosynthesis - carbon dioxide and temperature
Carbon dioxide concentration
Carbon dioxide is one of the reactants in photosynthesis. If the concentration of carbon dioxide is increased, the rate of photosynthesis will therefore increase. At some point, another factor may become limiting and this is shown by the plateau (flattened section) of the graph.
Temperature
The chemical reactions involved in photosynthesis are controlled by A protein which catalyses or speeds up a chemical reaction.. As with any other enzyme-controlled reaction, the rate of photosynthesis is affected by temperature.
At low temperatures, the rate of photosynthesis is limited by the number of collisions between enzymes and substrate. As temperature increases the number of collisions increases, therefore the rate of photosynthesis increases. However, at high temperatures, enzymes are If a substance is denatured, its structure and function is altered. This can be caused by heat, altered pH or by chemical agents. and this will decrease the rate of photosynthesis.
