How plants make glucose from light, water and carbon dioxide, and how leaves are built for it.
Modules
Module 1 · syllabus 6.1 · 3 parts
How plants make food
What does a leaf need to make starch?
See how a leaf uses energy from light to make glucose from carbon dioxide and water, then test leaves for starch to find out what a leaf needs, and follow where the sugar goes.
What photosynthesis makesGlucose and oxygen from carbon dioxide and water, using energy from light, with chlorophyll in the chloroplasts
What a leaf needs: the starch investigationThe starch test, destarched plants and controls for light, chlorophyll and carbon dioxide
What the plant does with its sugarStarch, cellulose, respiration, sucrose and nectar; nitrate and magnesium ions
Experiment Two destarched plants · a foil strip, a variegated leaf and two sealed bags · the starch test with iodine
Syllabus statements for this topic · for teachers · 14 statements
Core for every pupil · Supplement also for Extended entry. Paraphrased from the Cambridge IGCSE Biology 0610 syllabus (2026–2028); check the official syllabus for exact wording.
6.1 Photosynthesis
Covered in How plants make food
6.1.1Photosynthesis makes carbohydrates using light energyC
6.1.2Photosynthesis word equationC
6.1.3Chlorophyll: green pigment in chloroplastsC
6.1.4Chlorophyll transfers light energy into chemical energyC
6.1.5Uses and storage of photosynthesis productsC
6.1.6Nitrate and magnesium ions for plantsC
6.1.7Investigate need for chlorophyll, light, carbon dioxideC
6.1.8Investigate light, CO₂ and temperature on rateC
6.1.9Hydrogencarbonate indicator: aquatic plant gas exchangeC
6.1.10Balanced symbol equation for photosynthesisS
6.1.11Limiting factors of photosynthesisS
6.2 Leaf structure
6.2.1Large, thin leaves as adaptationsC
6.2.2Identify tissues and structures in a dicot leafC
