Lab Report

About:

This lab was designed to record how the amount of substrate (Hydrogen Peroxide) would affect the enzyme (Bindweed extract). My lab partner and I took the leaves and some stems from the bindweed plant and ground it up in a mortar and pestle until the plant was unrecognizable. We then filtered out excess bindweed mush and used the leftover liquids as the bindweed extract. To see what different types of reactions we would get my lab partner and I took three percent hydrogen peroxide and diluted it with different amounts of water. To get a control group the experiment we took one milliliter of hydrogen peroxide and added it to one milliliter of the plant extract and mixed it in a test tube. When hydrogen peroxide is added to the extract the substrate causes the extract to fizz, if you will, into a white foam, and for every three seconds we would record how much the foam and liquid would rise in centimeters.

Hypothesis:

Our hypothesis was that the more we dilute the hydrogen peroxide the less of an effect it will have on the bindweed extract.

Procedure:

To begin with, my partner and I grabbed some bindweed from the schools garden. Then we ground it up with a mortar and pestle with twenty milliliters of tap water. Once the plant was on recognizable we used a paper towel to filter the liquids into a beaker without the pulp-like bindweed. We took three trials of measuring the mixtures reaction of the extract to the diluted substrate. We added one milliliter of extract then one milliliter of a mixture of water and hydrogen peroxide to a test tube and here are our results.

Results:

After twenty seven seconds the mixture that contained three percent hydrogen peroxide rose about 7.1 centimeters. The mixture that was 2.25% hydrogen peroxide stopped at 7 centimeters.

And the mixture that had 1.25% of hydrogen peroxide rose to 5.1 centimeters and leveled out.

Conclusion:

Our hypothesis was correct. There was a distinct negative correlation between the amount of water added to the dilution and how much the mixture rose. Some variables we have to consider are if there was leftover water in the test tube after we rinsed out the original mixture, if the bindweed was clean, and if the class before cleaned their utensils before returning them. All of these variables could have given us different results in the lab if their status was different.

Blog Post #5

These plants, our plants are in fact living. How? The answer is somewhat simple. The proof that our plants are in fact alive is shown in photosynthesis. The plant takes in rays of light from the sun and transforms it into energy. It also takes in carbon dioxide and water and releases oxygen. This transformation of chemicals within the plant proves that it is alive. If the plant was dying then it would turn a different color. The plant is a vibrant green because inside it is chloroplast which is used in photosynthesis, photosynthesis makes energy, if the plant does not make energy the chloroplasts will die off and the plant will turn brown.

Besides being able to produce its own energy, the plant has grown significantly. The seeds were extremely tiny and now it’s healthy and normal. Another way we can measure how the plant has grown is in color. When the plants first sprouted they were light green and now they are darker and still getting darker. Although the plant might not have obvious indications that it is alive, such as pulse or reactions to threats, there are several observations to be made that we can utilize to tell if the plant is mean or not.  

Blog Post #5

Our plant is doing well and is steadily growing and even changing color.  The fact that our plants are growing lets us know that our plant is living.  If the plant was not living then it would not be producing food for itself and it certainly would not be getting bigger.  The fact that our plant is getting darker and darker green is just another clue unto the fact that our plant is living.  If our plant was not doing photosynthesis using chloroplast then it would not have any chlorophyll which is a very green pigment.

Blog Posts Assignment #5

Our Brassica Oleracea  is indeed living because it has characteristics of living organisms. It is constantly growing and changing. It is growing taller and looking more green. It is living because it takes part in many cycles such as the water, carbon, and nitrogen cycle. If it wasn't living it wouldn't really have affects on these cycles that contribute in about every living things. If it wasn't living why would it be growing by itself with the help of nature. If it wasn't living it would need chemicals to help it grow.

assignment #4

Our plants need sun, soil, and water to survive. Our plants are competing with other plants because they need water and sun to survive so the have to fight for it. Well to determine who won and lost the one who is bigger most likely one and the one that lost is most likely the dead or almost dead one. The plants are part of all sorts of different cycle like the water, carbon, and nitrogen cycles. succession is happening because there were a lot of plants that died and now there are plants thriving in the garden. It is secondary succession because it is not where nothing can grow.

Blog Posts Assignment #4

Our Brassica depends on abotic factors such as sunlight, oxygen, water, and soil to help them grow. biotic factors such as tiny insects help our plant to sprout. I know my plants is engaged in competitions by the shape and height of the other plants around it and they all compete for sunlight too so they both fight for light energy. My plants competition are the taller grassy plants in front of it. You can tell who the loser and winner are in competition by which plants is almost dead or if there is less of it. It is hard to tell who is the winner and loser when they equally look dead and unhealthy, and at the very beginning of the competition. Other interactions my plant is involved in are that the insects that live on/around it for shelter. These insects use our brassica for food and resources. Without our plant they would have to fine other shelter and food. The soil that our plants are in has already been used for gardening so secondary succession has started because in the previous years there were plants that had grown there but over the summer they had died. If it was primary succession there would be no healthy soil for growing plants.

Blog Post #4

Our plant depends on many abiotic and biotic factors for its growth and survival.  As for abiotic factors, it depends on water, sunlight, and dirt just to name a few.  It would not be able to produce food for itself if it were not for sunlight and water.  Also, the dirt keeps the plants delicate roof safe. There are also many biotic factors, but some of these are bad for the plant and some are good.  For instance, a worm, snail, or bug that eats your plant is bad for it.  Weeds are also very bad for your plant because they take its stuff.  But, a bee that helps it reproduce is great for it.

Plants, and all living things for that matter, are always competing with others for resources.  Our plants are competing with other plants for nutrients in the soil, water, and even sunlight.  They are competing with other plants that that our class planted, but they are also competing with weeds that spring up.  Weeds are, as a general rule, bad as they don't offer much but they do take away from your plant.

Winners and Losers in this nasty business are determined by the plants ability to cope with what comes at it.  If it has adapted over time to have broad leaves and large roots then it will get enough sunlight and water.  However, if the plant has not adapted like this, then it might die out.  If conditions are different in other places though, there may be other results.

Our plant interacts with other things too.  Bugs eat it which is fantastic for the bug because we planted food for them, but not so great for the plant.  Ironically we only planted the plant so that we could eat it, but we won't talk about that.  There are some interactions that the plant enjoys though.  Some animals eat whatever the plant produces for food, which sound bad for the plant, but is actually spreading its seeds.

There is evidence that succession has occurred inside our own garden.  Plots of dirt that were once barren are now overrun with weeds.  This is an example of secondary succession because there was already soil and some plants in the garden.

Blog Post Assignment #3

After a week since we transfer our Brassica Oleracea  into the soil. In our plants we see that they have grown somewhat from their little seeds but not an enormous change. It now has 4 little leaves and is growing larger. It’s also turning a darker green and looks healthy. Our plant participates in the movement of water in the biosphere by taking in water through their roots and and sending it to the top making it grow. Its important that there's water in the atmosphere because it helps our Brassica to grow more. Water takes a big part in helping our plant without it our plant would not even survive or grow. Our plant take part in the carbon cycle by taking in carbon dioxide from the atmosphere and spitting out oxygen. The affect the environment because other living things and animals need oxygen to survive. Their part in the carbon cycle helps them grow because by taking in carbon dioxide it helps them grow and survive. Without our plant there would be too much carbon in the atmosphere and not enough oxygen. Our plants take part in the nitrogen cycle by taking in nitrate and letting out ammonia. The ammonia then turns into nitrate and the plant absorbs it again like in the beginning.

Blog post assignment 3

I did not notice any differences in our group’s brassica oleracea plant. The broccoli is doing well, it’s getting larger and the leaves are turning a darker shade of green. The butterflies haven’t got to it yet and there were not any weeds invading it’s space.  My plant will absorb the that is given to it and that is it’s role in the movement of water in it’s cycle. The water changes how the plant will grow, without it it will die. The water is a major part in making sure the plant actually grows which it has been doing. The plant takes in carbon dioxide and photosynthesizes in the carbon cycle. The plant needs sunlight to survive because it gets all of it’s energy from photosynthesis. The plant takes in nitrate in the nitrogen cycle which takes place through assimilation and then the plant releases ammonia and then ammonia turns into Nitrate and then back into the nitrate that the plant absorbed before.

Blog Post #3

Our plant is so far doing very well, we took away the surrounding weeds, and it is making marked growth.  We are very proud of it.

As water is very important to plants, and all living things for that matter, it would make sense that our Brassica Oleracea participate in the water cycle.  When the water in the atmosphere precipitates, it falls to the earth in the form of rain, snow, or hail.  But, where we live, it is mostly rain.  The rain falls on our plant, and the dirt that the plant is in.  The plants roots are in the dirt and they absorb the moisture in the ground.  The plant then uses this water in photosynthesis.  The water also helps to keep the plant cool.  The plant "sweats" when water moisture comes from the under side of its leaves in a process called transpiration.  The water moisture goes back into the atmosphere.  The water that the plant takes in, helps to keep it sustained which is why it is more lush, greener, bigger, and not dead.

Carbon is a necessity in plants and it is no wonder that they are an important part of the carbon cycle.  They have the astounding ability to absorb carbon from the air.  Carbon is a very important part in photosynthesis.  When animals eat plants, they get some carbon that was in the plant.  That carbon in the form of co2 is breathed out by the animal into the air or is absorbed into the ground when it died.  If our plants did not use carbon then they would not be able to photosynthesize.  So, they would not be able to make food for themselves.  Without he carbon in photosynthesis our plants would not be able to survive.

The plant participates in the nitrogen cycle because it takes in nitrates and emits ammonia, the ammonia later gets changed back into nitrogen.  The plant absorbing absorbing nitrates and emmiting ammonia is called assimilation.