BRAINCAKETemperature as a Limiting Factor
Temperature affects the rate of photosynthesis mainly through the enzymes of the Calvin cycle, such as RuBisCO. The light-dependent stage is affected much less, because light absorption by chlorophyll does not depend on temperature.
Low temperatures: molecules have less kinetic energy, so there are fewer successful collisions between enzymes and substrates. Fewer enzyme-substrate complexes form and the Calvin cycle runs slowly. Levels of GP, TP and RuBP all fall because every enzyme-controlled step slows.
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More in Energy for Biological Processes
- Calvin Cycle
- Limiting Factors of Photosynthesis
- Light Intensity as a Limiting Factor
- Carbon Dioxide Concentration as a Limiting Factor
- Interpreting Limiting Factor Graphs
- Effect of Limiting Factors on the Calvin Cycle
- Uses of Triose Phosphate
- Investigating the Rate of Photosynthesis
All 17 lessons in Energy for Biological Processes · All OCR A-level Biology topics