Given below is the figure of an experimental set-up, showing a physiological act of the plants. Study and answer the following questions.

(a) What is the objective of this experiment ?

(b) Name and define the process shown here.

(c) Why do we destarch the leaves before performing the experiment ?

(d) How do we destarch the leaves ?

(e) What will be the observation when we pour iodine solution over the bleached experimental leaf.

(f) Write a well-balanced equation of the above process.

(a) The objective of given experiment is to show that sunlight is necessary for photosynthesis.

(b) The process shown here is photosynthesis.

Photosynthesis is the process by which living plant cells, containing chlorophyll, produce food substances (glucose and starch), from carbon dioxide and water, by using light energy and release oxygen as a by-product.

(c) We destarch the leaves before experiment in order to remove the starch from leaves so that occurence of photosynthesis can be detected.

(d) To destarch the leaves the plant is kept in dark for 24-48 hours. This stops photosynthesis in the plant. During this time the starch already present in the leaves is translocated to storage organ of the plant from the leaves.

(e) When we pour iodine solution over the bleached experimental leaf the area where starch is present turns blue.

(f) The equation for photosynthesis is given below:

$6\text{CO}$2 + 12\text{H}2\text{O} \xrightarrow[\text{chlorophyll}]{\text{light energy}} \text{C}6\text{H}{12}\text{O}6 + 6\text{H}2\text{O} + 6\text{O}_2 \uparrow