Question

How does water affect the rate of photosynthesis?

Answer 1

Photosynthesis is a process through which green plants and some organisms use sunlight to produce foods from carbon dioxide and water. During this process, oxygen is synthesized as a by-product. There are various external and internal factors affecting the rate of photosynthesis. The external factors include carbon dioxide, intensity of light, temperature, water and soil pH. Some of the internal factors are leaf anatomy, chlorophyll, plant hormones, build-up of end products etc.

Complete answer:
Water is one of the most important factors affecting the rate of photosynthesis. If the plant does not intake sufficient water or there’s less water availability, the stomata begin to close to avoid loss of water during transpiration. When the stomata are closed, the intake of carbon dioxide also stops which greatly affects the photosynthesis.
It is known that carbon dioxide gets converted into food with the help of sunlight during photosynthesis. With no carbon dioxide, photosynthesis simply does not occur. And so, the effect of water on photosynthesis is more indirect than direct.
During photosynthesis, six molecules of carbon dioxide with six molecules of water react in the presence of sunlight to form one molecule of glucose (food) and six molecules of oxygen. The oxygen is released into the atmosphere which is inhaled by humans. If there’s no water, oxygen liberation also does not occur.

Note:
Except plants and some microorganisms, no other organism can directly utilize solar energy to produce food, hence they are dependent on plants for their food. The simple carbohydrates produced during photosynthesis are transformed into lipids, proteins, vitamins, minerals and other organic molecules. Due to this, plants provide all the essential nutrients needed for the growth of other organisms. Plants also control the amount of carbon dioxide in the atmosphere.