In this activity you will review the data from an experiment that tested what happens to plants when they don't receive a specific nutrient. You will draw conclusions and answer questions based on the data from the experiment.
All organisms go through cellular respiration. Cellular respiration is the reverse reaction of photosynthesis. Cellular respiration uses sugars and oxygen to produce water, carbon dioxide, and energy. This process releases energy from the sugars that organisms make or consume. Producers create sugars during photosynthesis and then go through cellular respiration. Consumers must eat other organisms to go through cellular respiration. Once cellular respiration occurs, its products become the reactants for photosynthesis and they create a cycle.
This experiment tested the different nutrients needed to go through photosynthesis and involved 6 bean plants. Each plant was grown without a certain nutrient. These plants were two weeks old prior to beginning the experiment so that some growth was already present. The progress of plants in different environments was recorded over a period of two weeks and there were 2 replications of each group. The control group was kept in normal conditions and given normal amounts of water and sunlight. Group A was not given any water but received normal amounts of sunlight. Group B was kept in a dark space without sunlight but given normal amounts of water.
Pre-Lab Questions:
Before beginning any part of the experiment, you will need to write a hypothesis about what you think will happen and answer the following questions. Your hypothesis should be formatted as an "if, then" statement.
- Hypothesis:
- What are the controls of the experiment? (what must remain consistent in the groups)
- What is the Independent variable?
- What is the Dependent Variable?
Below is information about the lab, how it was conducted, and the data collected.
Lab:
Lab Materials:
- 6 bean plants, with the same pots, amount of soil and same amount of growth
- Graduated Cylinder
- Ruler
- Sunny spot for the plants
- Dark spot for the plants
Lab Procedure:
Day 1:
1. First measure and record the height of each plant and observe what it looks like. Record the color, how many leaves it has, if it looks rigid or dry, and anything else you notice. Label each plant based on its group.
2. Place each plant in its correct spot based on whether or not it will receive sunlight.
a. The control group will get full sunlight and water.
b. Group A will get full sunlight, but no water.
c. Group B will get no sunlight, but will get water.
Day 2:
3. Measure the height of each plant and make observations.
4. Water the control group and Group B.
Follow the instructions from Day 2 every other day. (Days 4,6,8,10,12, and 14 )
Data:
Biology Special Lesson: Discovering Photosynthesis Experiment
Post-Lab Questions:
Based on the procedure and data collected, draw conclusions and interpret the data to answer the following questions.
1. What happened in the Control Group throughout the experiment?
2. What happened in Group A throughout the experiment?
3. What happened in Group B throughout the experiment?
4. Why do you think that there was more growth in the Control group compared to... (Think about why it couldn't grow. This is more than just because it lost water or sunlight.)
Group A?
Group B?
5. What does the lack of growth have to do with photosynthesis?
6. Was your hypothesis supported? Why/Why not?
Submission:
You will submit a written or typed response with the answers to the pre-lab and post lab questions.
