Monitoring the activity of a living organism.

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Monitoring the activity of a living organism.

Aim:

To  monitor  the  activity  of  a  living  organism  in  different  colors  of  lights  and different  conditions.

Prediction:

My  prediction  is  that  the  white  light  would  help  the  plant  photosynthesize better  so  the  plant  will  grow  better  than  the  green  and  the  red.  This  is  because  white light has all the natural colors (blue, red, orange, yellow, green, indigo, and violet).      

     My  prediction  for  the  red  light  is  that  it  will  not  perform  as  well  as  the  white  light,  the  red  plant  will  grow  well  because,  it  absorbs  red  and  violet.  So  the  plant  might  grow  well.

The one in green will not grow good, I think this because plants reflect green light so the plant will not grow that well.

Background information.

Photosynthesis occurs only in the presence of light, and takes place in the chloroplasts of green plant cells. Photosynthesis can be defined as the production of simple sugars from carbon dioxide and water causing the release of sugar and oxygen. The chemical equation for photosynthesis can be expressed as:

(light)

6CO2  + 6H2O  = C6H12O6 + 6O2  (in the presence of chlorophyll)

The fact that all plants need light in order to photosynthesize has been proven many times in experiments, and so it is possible to say that without light, the plant would die. The reason that light intensity does affect the rate of photosynthesis is because as light, and therefore energy, falls on the chloroplasts in a leaf, it is trapped by the chlorophyll, which then makes the energy available for chemical reactions in the plant. Thus, as the amount of sunlight, or in this case light from a bulb, falls on the plant, more energy is absorbed, so more energy is available for the chemical reactions, and so more photosynthesis takes place in a given time. There are many factors, which affect the rate of photosynthesis, including light intensity, temperature and carbon dioxide concentration. The maximum rate of photosynthesis will be constrained by a limiting factor. Embedded in the membranes of the thylakoids are hundreds of molecules of chlorophyll, a light-trapping pigment required for photosynthesis. Additional light-trapping pigments, enzymes (organic substances that speed up chemical reactions), and other molecules needed for photosynthesis are also located within the thylakoid membranes.

A chemical in plants called chlorophyll uses sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into carbohydrates and oxygen. Chlorophyll is the substance that makes plants green, chlorophyll is found in chloroplasts, tiny bodies in plant cells. The green pigment chlorophyll is essential for plants to be able to make food. Chlorophyll contains magnesium compounds, which help capture the energy in sunlight. The energy is used in food making process called photosynthesis. All living organisms depend on air for its survival. We use the oxygen in the air to convert food into energy, and we breathe out carbon dioxide. Plants use photosynthesis to convert the carbon dioxide from the air into foods, such as sugars, which they need to grow.

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Carbon   Dioxide   +   Water                                glucose  +   Oxygen

Sunlight

Chlorophyll

CO     +      H   O   +  LIGHT  ENERGY                     CH    O    +  O

Apparatus;

Minipots   = 3

Wicks  = 12

Seed  (  Brassica  Rapa  )  =  12

Growing  mix  =  a  beaker  100g  soil  from  a  grow  bag

NPK  Fertilizer  =  6  pellets  in  each  minipot

Ruler

Pens,  pencils.

Rubber

A ...

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