Investigating Pleurococcus

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Investigating Pleurococcus

Plan

Pleurococcus is a green, single-celled algae that is found on the bark of trees, where it survives better on the north side of the tree and near the ground. It can also be found on stones and fences and usually in moist situations. As it is a green plant, as all green plants do – it photosynthesises.

The chemical reaction that is taking place is:

Carbon Dioxide + Water                     Glucose + Oxygen

6CO2 + 6H2O                   C6H1206 + 6O2

Variables that affect Pleurococcus:

  • Light: is required for photosynthesis
  • Moisture/humidity: if it is too dry, the Pleurococcus will become too dry and die out, as they are green plants and require humidity/moisture to survive.
  • Wind: It can transport moisture. However, it could bring about drying out and death of the algae.
  • Temperature
  • Amount of rainfall that runs down the tree. If it is too much, it washes off the Pleurococcus

These are called Abiotic Features.

Variables that are Biotic are:

  • Position on the tree: leaves may cause dimness and branches may change the local humidity conditions.
  • Animals: birds and animals may remove the Pleurococcus.
  • Tree species: each tree has its own rind category, some more appropriate to the Pleurococcus than others.
  • Location: the location of the tree will largely influence abiotic factors (e.g. shadowing effects of other trees and disclosure to the elements)
  • Pleurococcus contains chlorophyll and has a single-cell.  It expands rapidly in warm and damp conditions by simple binary fission (ways of how they actually come together/ join, like Miosis and Mitosis).
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I have decided to investigate the effect of light upon the growth of Pleurococcus.

My hypothesis is that the side of the tree with the least light will have the most Pleurococcus, as too much light will make the Pleurococcus dry out and die, as it has no roots, and the only technique that it can obtain water, is the water that trickles down the tree through rainfall. It requires rainfall for photosynthesis, as the equation for Photosynthesis is

Carbon Dioxide + Water                     Glucose + Oxygen.

So, the most Pleurococcus will grow ...

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