What do plants do during the day in the light. Plants and light

During the day, the plant absorbs carbon dioxide and releases oxygen. At night, when not sunlight, it absorbs oxygen and releases carbon dioxide with water vapor. The amount of oxygen used by a plant at night is lower than the amount produced during the day.

First of all, it is thanks to light that plants can produce food for themselves. Of course, plants get water and various minerals from the earth, they get carbon dioxide that they need so much from the air. But in order to provide a process that converts these elements into sugars that the plant needs, the plant needs energy. The sunlight absorbed by the leaves is converted into energy, allowing photosynthesis to start.

stomata

Plants not only breathe in carbon dioxide, but also give off oxygen. But how does the plant breathe, what part of it? In fact, the leaf, on its inner part, has small holes - stomata.

Oxygen

The waste product of photosynthesis is oxygen, which humans and animals need to breathe. Thanks to plants, the proportion of oxygen in the air remains unchanged.

Where does cell sap flow?

The inner part of the stem of vascular plants consists of tubular vessels through which cell sap flows. Those of them that deliver water and mineral salts (raw juice) from the roots to the leaves are in the central, deeper part of the stem - xylem, or wood. Sugars (processed juice) produced by photosynthesis move along outside stem - phloem, or bast, and reach all organs of the plant, as they flow both up and down. In the leaf, the transport arteries are veins that penetrate the entire surface of the leaf.

Experience

Wrap two beans in damp cotton and hold them there until they sprout. When the sprouts take shape, transplant them into pots with earth. Put one of them on the window, and place the other in the closet, in the dark. Water the sprouts every three days for two weeks and every day measure how much they have grown. You will see that a plant in the dark will grow very fast at first in search of light, then its growth will slow down and the sprout will turn pale green. It will continue to grow only when you put the pot on the light.

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Many people like it when there are flowers in the apartment. And it's not just that they enliven and decorate any interior. They also give off oxygen, and some of them do this even at night.

website I am sure that every apartment must have at least one of these 9 plants. They will give you a healthy and sound sleep.

These bright sunny flowers not only perfectly purify the air, but also decorate the interior. In addition to absorbing such a toxic substance as benzene, gerbera also improves sleep: By absorbing the carbon dioxide we exhale, the flower releases oxygen instead.

It cleans the air remarkably. In addition, it acts as a natural pesticide, protecting against mosquitoes. To grow him at home, you have to work hard: he needs good soil and lots of light.

More interesting things about this plant.

Aloe vera - unique plant. It known not only for medicinal properties, but also helps to have a restful and sound sleep, because it highlights a large number of oxygen at night. Aloe - unpretentious plant and does not require frequent watering.

More information about aloe can be found in this place.

This type of cactus produces oxygen throughout the night, which helps you sleep well. Flower can grow in dark rooms , so the bedroom is also perfect for him. Schlumbergera is picky, so caring for her will not give you much trouble.

Tulasi is useful not only for eating, but also for purifying the air. The smell of the leaves this plant soothes nervous system and reduces anxiety. This is what you need after a long and tiring day at work.

More about others useful properties tulasi.

palm plants remarkably clean the air from all kinds of harmful gases and at the same time still moisturize it. They are suitable not only for bedrooms, but also for offices. Palm trees love places with less light. In everyday life, they need delicate care, but it's definitely worth it.

Orchids are the decoration of any home. Their great advantage is also that they emit a lot of oxygen at night and purify the air from xylene- a harmful substance contained in the paint. This plant will not give you much trouble: the less care for it, the better. The main thing is that during the day the flower has enough sun.

This flower is distinguished by its rare beauty and unpretentiousness. Water and bright sunlight are very important for its growth and flowering. Big plus kalanchoe is what it is saturates the air with oxygen around the clock. In addition, its aroma helps relieve depression.

More information about Kalanchoe here

What do plants do at night? One would like to answer this question: “Resting”. After all, it would seem that the entire “active life” of a plant occurs during the day. In the daytime, flowers open and are pollinated by insects, leaves unfold, young stems grow and pull their tops towards the sun. It is during daylight hours that plants use solar energy to convert the carbon dioxide they absorb from atmospheric air, into sugar.

However, the plant not only synthesizes organic substances - it also uses them in the process of respiration, again oxidizing to carbon dioxide and absorbing oxygen. But the amount of oxygen that plants need for respiration is about 30 times less than what they release during photosynthesis. At night, in the dark, photosynthesis does not occur, but even at this time, plants consume so little oxygen that this does not affect us at all. Therefore, the old tradition of taking plants out of the sick room at night is completely unfounded.

And there is also a row plant species that consume carbon dioxide at night. Since the energy of sunlight necessary for the complete reduction of carbon is not available at this time, sugar, of course, is not formed. But the carbon dioxide absorbed from the air remains in the composition of malic or aspartic acids, which then, already in the light, decompose again, releasing CO 2 . It is these carbon dioxide molecules that are included in the cycle of basic reactions of photosynthesis - the so-called Calvin cycle. In most plants, this cycle begins with the capture of a CO 2 molecule directly from the air. Such a “simple” method is called the C 3 path of photosynthesis, and if carbon dioxide is pre-stored in malic acid, this is the C 4 path.

It would seem, why do we need additional complexity? First of all, in order to save water. After all, a plant can absorb carbon dioxide only through open stomata, through which water evaporates. And during the day, in the heat, much more water is lost through the stomata than at night. And in C 4 plants, the stomata are closed during the day, and water does not evaporate. These plants carry out gas exchange during cool night hours. In addition, the C 4 -way is generally more efficient, it allows you to synthesize large quantity organic matter per unit of time. But only in conditions of good illumination and at a sufficiently high air temperature.

So C 4 -photosynthesis is characteristic of "southerners" - plants from hot regions. It is inherent in most cacti, some other succulents, a number of bromeliads - for example, the well-known pineapple ( Ananas comosus), sugar cane and corn.

Interestingly, back in 1813, long before the biochemical reactions underlying photosynthesis were known, researcher Benjamin Hayne wrote to the Linnean Scientific Society that the leaves of a number of succulent plants had a particularly pungent taste in the morning, and then, by the middle of the day, their taste becomes softer.

The ability to use CO 2 bound in organic acids is genetically determined, but the implementation of this program is also under control external environment. At heavy rain when there is no threat of desiccation and the illumination is low, C 4 plants can open their stomata during the day and switch to the normal C 3 pathway.

What else can happen to plants at night?

Some species have adapted to attract their pollinators at night. For this they use different means: both an odor that intensifies by night, and a color that is pleasant and noticeable to the eye of nocturnal pollinators - white or yellowish-beige. Night butterflies fly to such flowers. They are the ones that pollinate jasmine flowers. Jasminum), gardenias ( Gardenia), moonflowers ( Ipomea alba), evenings, or night violets ( Hesperis), two-leaved love ( Platanthera bifolia), curly lilies ( lilium martagon) and a number of other plants.

And there are plants (they are called chiropterophilic) that are pollinated at night. bats. Most of these plants are in the tropics of Asia, America and Australia, less in Africa. These are bananas, agaves, boababs, some representatives of the myrtle, legume, begonia, gesneriaceae, cyanotic families.

The flowers of chiropterophilous plants open only at dusk and do not differ in brightness of color - as a rule, they are greenish-yellow, brown or purple. The smell of such flowers is very specific, often unpleasant for us, but probably attractive for bats. In addition, the flowers of chiropterophilous plants are usually large, with a strong perianth, and are provided with "landing grounds" for their pollinators. Thick pedicels and peduncles or leafless sections of branches adjacent to flowers can act as such sites.

Some chiropterophilic plants even "talk" to their pollinators, attracting them. When the creeper flower Mucuna holtonii, belonging to the legume family and growing in the tropical forests of Central America, becomes ready for pollination, one of its petals acquires a specific concave shape. This concave lobe concentrates and reflects the signal emitted by bats that have gone in search of food, and thus informs them of their location.

But not only chiropteran mammals pollinate flowers. In the tropics, more than 40 species of animals from other orders are known, actively participating in the pollination of about 25 plant species. Many of these plants, like those pollinated by bats, have large and strong flowers, often foul-smelling, and producing large quantities of pollen and nectar. Usually the number of flowers on such plants or in their inflorescences is small, the flowers are located low above the ground and open only at night to ensure maximum convenience for nocturnal animals.

The nightlife of flowers is not limited to attracting pollinators. A number of plants close the petals at night, but at the same time insects remain to spend the night inside the flower. Most famous example similar "hotel" for insects is the Amazon lily ( Victoria amazonica). Europeans first saw her in 1801, and detailed description plants was made in 1837 by the English botanist Schomburg. The scientist was simply amazed by both its giant leaves and wonderful flowers and named the flower "Nymphea Victoria", in honor of the English Queen Victoria.

Seeds of Victoria amazonica were first sent to Europe in 1827, but then they did not germinate. In 1846 the seeds were sent to Europe again, this time in bottles of water. And they not only endured the road perfectly, but also developed into full-fledged plants, which bloomed after 3 years. It happened in the botanical garden "Kew" in England. The news that Victoria should bloom quickly spread not only among employees botanical garden but also among artists and reporters. A huge crowd had gathered in the greenhouse. Everyone watched the clock impatiently, waiting for the flower to open. At 5 pm, the still closed bud rose above the water, its sepals opened and snow-white petals appeared. A wonderful smell of ripe pineapple spread throughout the greenhouse. After a few hours, the flower closed and sank under the water. Again, he appeared only at 7 pm the next day. But, to the surprise of all those present, the petals of the miracle flower were no longer white, but bright pink. Soon they began to fall off, while their color became more and more intense. After the complete fall of the petals, the active movement of the stamens began, which, according to those present, was even audible.

But besides the extraordinary beauty, Victoria flowers also have amazing features associated with attracting insects. On the first day, the temperature in the white Victoria flower rises by about 11 ° C compared to the surrounding air, and by the evening, with the onset of coolness, a large number of insects accumulate in this “warm place”. In addition, special food bodies are formed on the carpels of the flower, which also attract pollinators. When the flower closes and sinks under water, insects descend with it. There they spend the night and all the next day, until the flower rises to the surface again. Only now it is already cold and not fragrant, and insects loaded with pollen fly in search of new warm and fragrant white flowers to pollinate them, and at the same time spend the night in the next warm and safe “hotel”.

Another, perhaps, no less beautiful flower also provides its pollinators with nightly apartments - this is a lotus. There are two kinds of lotus. In the Old World, the walnut lotus with pink grows, and in America - the American lotus with yellow flowers. The lotus is able to maintain a relatively constant temperature inside its flowers - much higher than the temperature of the surrounding air. Even if outside it is only +10°С, inside the flower it is +30...+35°С! Lotus flowers warm up 1–2 days before opening, and a constant temperature is maintained in them for 2–4 days. During this time, the anthers ripen, and the stigma of the pistil becomes capable of receiving pollen.

The lotus is pollinated by beetles and bees, for which active flight requires a temperature of just about 30 ° C. If insects find themselves in a flower after its closing and spend the night in warmth and comfort, actively moving around and being covered with pollen, then in the morning, when the flower opens, they are immediately able to fly to other flowers. Thus, the “guests” of the lotus get an advantage over the numb insects that spent the night in the cold. So the warmth of the flower, transferred to the insect, contributes to the prosperity of the lotus population.

Many members of the aroid family, such as the giant amorphophallus ( Amorphophallus titanus), the well-known monstera and philodendrons have flower petioles that produce heat at night, enhancing the smell and helping pollinating insects to spend the night with maximum comfort. The unpleasant smell of amorphophallus attracts, for example, a lot of beetles, which are found among the petals of a giant inflorescence and warm apartment, and food, and marriage partners. Another interesting plant from the aroid family Typophonium brownii - mimics heaps of animal droppings, attracting dung beetles, which it “catches” at night and forces to carry its pollen on itself.

It has been established that the biochemical reactions occurring in the body of humans and animals are the same. Do plants breathe? In the course of many experiments, scientists gave a positive answer to this question.

Oxygen is necessary for the oxidation of organic substances. In this case, the energy that is contained in the molecules is released. But if a person has a mouth, lungs, nose, through which oxygen enters the body, how do plants breathe? More on this later in the article.

General information

In ancient times, it was deprived of oxygen. However, there were quite a few. In the process of evolution, plants have developed the ability to absorb it. As a result, the energy of sunlight was converted into and oxygen was released into the atmosphere, which gave life to other organisms. One of the first experiments, during which it was found out how plants breathe, was an experiment with beets and cabbage. At first, crops were grown on outdoors. Then half of them were placed in a chamber where the oxygen content was about 2.5%. The other part remained in the air, in which O 2 was

21%. Lighting of both those and others was carried out around the clock. Plants placed in the chamber were expected to die without oxygen. However, six days later, their weight was significantly higher than those that remained in the air. How do plants breathe without oxygen? More on this later.

How do plants breathe in the light and in the dark?

The fact is that representatives of the flora are able to use solar energy very efficiently. At the onset of darkness, there is a kind of "switching" from one source to another. How do plants breathe in the light and in the dark? When solar energy enters, the synthesis of organic substances occurs. At the onset of darkness, the process of oxidation of compounds occurs. In the latter case, they speak of "dark" breathing, and in the first case, "light" breathing. The ability for such switching allows saving internal energy reserves. But representatives of the flora breathe in the light, but this process does not benefit them. By absorbing carbon dioxide. It is their main food. As a result, growth slows down somewhat. There are, however, such representatives of the flora, which the light does not prevent from developing. Light breathing, for example, is not found in corn.

Reasons for the development of light breathing

The beginning, as scientists suggest, was the symbiosis of photosynthetic primitive organisms with non-photosynthetic ones. Symbiosis is understood as mutual participation in processes that is beneficial to both parties. The little photosynthetics that lived in the water absorbed from environment carbon dioxide while releasing oxygen. If there were no breathing, absorbing O 2 organisms in the environment, then unbearable conditions would be created for photosynthetics. But in the process of evolution, those representatives of the organic world also survived that were somehow useful for non-photosynthetics.

One of the compounds that is formed during photosynthesis is glycolic acid. This substance is also secreted by some modern algae. As a result, non-photosynthetics received glycolic acid from photosynthetics. This, in turn, contributed to an increase in oxygen consumption for the oxidation of the compound.

Conclusion

Glycolic acid is the very substance that, in the course of several biochemical reactions, is oxidized and forms carbon dioxide.

Accordingly, we can conclude that the more oxygen in the air, the more glycolic acid is formed. This provides a greater intensity of light breathing. As a result, more carbon dioxide is released into the environment. Scientists suggest that according to a similar principle, plants developed the ability to regulate light respiration in accordance with the level of carbon dioxide in the air. Organisms not only absorbed oxygen from the environment, which is detrimental to photosynthetics, but also emitted carbon dioxide, which they needed.

Experiments

You can see in practice how plants breathe. 6th grade school curriculum Biology covers this issue in great detail. To monitor the process, you can take a leaf of an indoor flower. In addition, you will need a magnifying glass, a transparent container filled with water, a cocktail tube. The experience proving that plants breathe allows not only to understand the course of the process, but also the sample in oxygen. Small holes can be seen on the cut of the sheet. Part of the sample is immersed in water, and bubbles are noted. There is another way to see how plants breathe. To do this, take a bottle, pour water into it, leaving about two to three centimeters empty. A leaf on a long stem is inserted so that its tip is immersed in the liquid. The opening of the bottle is tightly covered with plasticine (instead of a cork). A hole is made in it for a straw, which is inserted so that it does not touch the water. Suck the air out of the bottle through a straw. From the stem immersed in water, bubbles will begin to stand out.

How do plants react to light?

Plants are irresistibly drawn to the light. In nature, they naturally grow upward because the sun hits them from above. Houseplants, standing far from the window, stretch and lean towards the light source. When there is clearly not enough light, etiolation begins, that is, weak, fragile pale stems appear, which indicates a violation of the physiological cycle due to low light.

As long as the phototropic behavior of the plant is expressed only by the tilt of the stems, nothing terrible has happened yet. It is enough to turn the pot a quarter of a turn every month so that it maintains a more aesthetically straight silhouette. But this can only be handled with ornamental plants, because any change in position can be detrimental to flowering plants. That is why suddenly, as if without apparent reason, drop flower buds of gardenia, hibiscus, hoya and many orchids. Do not turn the pot with these fragile plants. If you need to rearrange it when you clean the room, stick a match into the substrate so that it is on the same axis as some fixed object (for example, a window frame). You can safely rearrange the plant, do what is required, and then accurately return it to its original place. The plant will take its usual position. And don't forget Golden Rule: if the plant is fine in some place, do not move it. All plants are large "homebodies".

How to protect plants from the bright sun?

In the hot summer hours, when the sun is high in the sky, the force of solar radiation is poorly tolerated by plants. The smallest means of protection can be considered a light transparent curtain. But it is better to hang blinds that do not give access to the sun's rays, which heat the air too much. If you have a greenhouse or veranda, you should seriously consider purchasing automatic system shading. A Depending on the position of the lamps, the effect varies. The choice of light direction depends on the silhouette of the plants and the atmosphere you want to create.

Do houseplants need to be backlit?

The beauty of home plants also depends on the lighting. Depending on the angle of incidence of light, they will look different. Tree and large plants will only benefit if they are illuminated from below with an upward beam. This strange, unnatural direction of light creates a theatrical effect, and this can be used in winter garden. The side light works the same way. Thanks to him, plants cast a very long shadow.

Plants with thin stems and transparent or colored leaves - balsam, coleus, caladium, some types of begonias - look great when lit from behind and a little from the side. The light falling from above is close to natural. Illumination of the plant from below on both sides creates the effect of magic, emphasizes the graphic nature of its drawing, the differences in light and shadow, and the play of colors.