Practise Uses of glucose from photosynthesis. 11 exam-style questions on this subtopic, at up to four difficulty levels, with full mark schemes and a progress tracker. Free, no account needed.
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Name the substance made from glucose that strengthens plant cell walls.
Cellulose
Plants absorb nitrate ions from the soil. Name the substances that plants make from glucose and nitrate ions.
Amino acids (which are used to make proteins)
Sugar beet makes sucrose from glucose. Name one other substance that plants make from glucose and use as a store of energy.
Starch (or fats / oils)
Sample questions
Written for this site in the style of AQA exam questions. They are not taken from real past papers.
Question 1Easy5 marks
Plants use the glucose made in photosynthesis in several ways.
(a) Which two of these are uses of glucose in plants? Tick (✓) two boxes.[2]
To absorb light energy
To make cellulose for cell walls
To make mineral ions
To make oxygen
To make starch for storage
(b) Plants store glucose as starch. Give one reason why starch is better for storage than glucose.[1]
(c) Name the substance made from glucose that strengthens plant cell walls.[1]
(d) Plants use glucose to make amino acids. Which ions, absorbed from the soil, are also needed to make amino acids?[1]
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)Answer: To make cellulose for cell walls; To make starch for storage
(b)
starch is insoluble (so it does not affect osmosis)
(c)Answer: Cellulose
cellulose
(d)Answer: Nitrate ions
nitrate ions
Question 2Medium7 marks
Plants convert some of the glucose they make into other substances.
(a) Explain why plants convert glucose into starch for storage.[2]
(b) Sunflower seeds store oil rather than starch. Suggest one advantage of this for the seed.[1]
(c) A plant grown in soil containing no nitrate ions can still make glucose, but it cannot make proteins. Explain why.[2]
(d) Plants also use glucose for respiration. Explain why plant cells need to respire.[2]
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)
starch is insoluble
(so) it does not affect the movement of water into or out of cells by osmosis
starch molecules are large, so they cannot move out of the cell
(b)
oil stores more energy per gram, so the seed can be smaller / lighter
(c)
amino acids / proteins contain nitrogen (as well as carbon, hydrogen and oxygen)
the nitrogen comes from nitrate ions (glucose does not contain nitrogen)
(d)
to transfer energy
for living processes, e.g. building larger molecules / growth / active transport of mineral ions
Question 3Hard3 marks
A plant makes both starch and sucrose from the glucose produced in photosynthesis. Sucrose is a sugar that dissolves in water. Plants store starch, and transport sucrose from the leaves to other parts of the plant.
Explain why the plant stores starch rather than sucrose, but transports sucrose rather than starch.[3]
Show the answer and mark scheme
sucrose is soluble, so it can be carried in solution (in the phloem) from the leaves to other parts of the plant
starch is insoluble, so it cannot be transported in solution, but it stays in the storage cells
starch does not affect the movement of water into or out of the storage cells by osmosis, so large amounts can be stored