The Speedwell plant.

Also known as Veronica, the Speedwell plant comprises of the largest genus of
any plant with over 500 species. The name speedwell comes from an old
meaning of the word speed, "thrive." The scientific term Veronica goes back
some 500 years and is apparently connected with the name of the legendary
Veronica, who is said to have wiped the face of Jesus as he went to Calvary. The
genus Veronica was named after her because the flowers supposedly resemble
the markings left on the cloth with which she wiped Jesus face. Some species
mimic a violet cone shape, whereas others are known for their illuminating blue
petals. They the common field Speedwell can be found all year around as it
usually thrives around heathland and cultivated land. Surprisingly the Speedwill
herb is rich in vitamins, tannins, and the glycoside aucubin which has many
medicinal purposes such as its use as a diuretic, which soothes stomach aches.
Furthermore, research has proven its effectiveness in curing ulcers and its power
to reduce chronic skin conditions.
How to plant and cultivate:

Grow in moderately fertile, well-drained soil in full sun.

Plant in the spring. Loosen the soil and mix in compost. Dig a hole twice
the diameter of the plants container, they can actually survive by planting
just 2-3 inches in the soil.

When placing the plant in the hole, ensure the top of the root ball is level
with the soil surface and water thoroughly.

In its lifetime, the plant can produce up to 6500 seeds which, in the right
conditions, could survive up to 30 years.

What diseases present it:

Downey/ Powdery mildew- this occurs when Fungus-like
(Oomycete) organisms penetrate into the plant leaving a white powdery offset,
which deters the plant from insects etc.
Root rotting- this occurs when the plant is over watered which is very common,
the roots begin to rot, and not absorb water, nutrients and minerals (phosphates
and nitrates etc.) as efficiently as before.
It can serve as a host of plant disease-causing nematodes, aphids, and
viruses

The Hill reaction.

Photosynthesis develops a complex cycle where carbon dioxide is converted to
glucose, for energy storage. The first stage includes the light dependent
stage, which illustrates how water leads to the transfer of electrons through a
photosystem.
Essentially, a process of reactions start, when light triggers an oxidative enzyme
which splits water into 2H+ and O2 and two electrons, known as photolysis.
When light is captured by chlorophyll and other photosynthetic pigments which
absorb light from all sorts of wavelengths, the photon is transferred until it
reaches P680. The energy absorbed from the photon, excites an electron in the
photosystem and it raises its energy level. In a series of redox reaction, the
transfer of energy, facilitates the production of ATP, and this is what the Hill
reaction is trying to prove.
It represents how isolated chloroplasts can still manage to independently to
produce electrons from their thylakoid membrane, even after being digested
from the leaf.
The process.
DCPIP is blue when oxidised (at pH 7.0) and colourless when reduced, so it is
possible to monitor the loss of blue colour as an indication that DCPIP has
accepted electrons. It can be used to participate in, and monitor, redox reactions.
This is crucial to our experiment because it allows us to measure the production
of electrons from chloroplasts, since through a colour change (of the reduction of
DCPIP) we can see how electrons are produced.
DCPIP actually replaces the role of NADP because they are both used to transport
electrons from one place to another.
1. Grind 5 g of freshly chopped leaves with 10 cm3 of ice cold 0.5 M sucrose
solution using a pestle and mortar
2. Strain the resulting liquid into a cooled centrifuge tube and centrifuge
for 5 minutes at medium speed
3. Decant the supernatant into another cooled centrifuge tube and
centrifuge for a further 10 minutes at high speed
4. Carefully pipette off the supernatant of this tube and discard. Now,
using the sediment, add 2 cm3 of the ice cold sucrose solution and mix
gently
5. Add 20 cm3 of ice cold pH 7.0 phosphate buffer solution and mix well
6. Add 5 cm3 of the chloroplast/ice-cold phosphate buffer solution into test
tube, then add 10 cm3 DCPIP to the test tube.
7. Leave A under a bench lamp to make sure they are well lit, then keep
observing tube A until the blue colour of the DCPIP has completely
disappeared.
Sources

http://www.ocr.org.uk/Images/170050-the-hill-reaction-activity-teacherinstructions.pdf
http://www.users.miamioh.edu/smithhn/Photosynthesis%20(new).htm