SCE 3101 Practical 1 Title Objective Theory

: LIFE AND LIVING PROCESSES

: Basic needs of plants. : To determine the basic needs of plants: sunlight, air, and water.

Green plant manufactures their own food which are elaborate food molecules like sugars, amino acids, and fatty acids. To do this, they use carbon dioxide and water together with mineral ions, and they build large organic molecules from them, using the energy of sunlight. In this process called photosynthesis, plant will manufacture glucose and oxygen will be produced as a waste product. Photosynthesis takes place mainly in cells of the leaves of plants in specialized organelles called chloroplast. There, the energy from sunlight is trapped by the green pigment chlorophyll and becomes the chemical energy in molecules such as glucose. In order for photosynthesis, plant must get three basic needs mentioned before; air, sunlight and water. Just like animals, plant also undergoes cell respiration. Even though photosynthesis occurs during the day, cell respiration also takes place at the same time. This is because plant needs energy all the time. The leaf contains tiny pores called stomata which allow gaseous exchange. Most of the pores are on the lower epidermis, but they are also found in stems and in parts of flowers. A stoma consist of two almost sausage shaped guard cells. Guard cells are able separate so as to form a pore between then. The pores tend to be open in the light and closed in the dark but close also even in the light if the leaves become severely wilted. These stomata connect air from surrounding with the air space in the leaves. Carbon dioxide absorb from surrounding is then diffuses into the palisade cells and into the chloroplast.

As mentioned before, photosynthesis mainly takes place in chloroplasts. Chloroplasts trapped sun light and use it as energy for photosynthesis. Photosynthesis process can be divided into two; light-dependent reaction and light-independent reaction. During the light-dependent reaction, water molecules in the cells are split by the sunlight energy producing oxygen and hydrogen. Oxygen gas is the final product during this stage. The light-independent stage occurs in the stoma of the chloroplast in the light because in requires a continuous supply of the products of the light-dependent reaction. The hydrogen atoms formed during the light-dependent stage are used in the light-independent stage to reduce carbon dioxide through a reaction in order to build up sugar. Beside air and sunlight, plants also need water in order for photosynthesis to occur. Water is absorbed from their root and then it is brought up to the stem and to the leaves. Less than 1% of the water reaching the leaves is used in photosynthesis and plant growth. Most of it is lost in transpiration. However, transpiration does play a part in water transportation to the whole structure as it provides the force for lifting the water up the stems. Water that had been absorbed combined with carbon dioxide gas will be converted into sugar and oxygen gas using the energy of sunlight. sunlight 6 CO2 + 6H2O C6H12O6 + O2

Problem 1 : Do plants need sunshine Hypothesis : Yes, plant need sunshine to make their own food through photosynthesis Variable i) ii) iii) : Fixed Manipulated Responding : Type of plant, water, air : Sunshine : Leaves condition

Materials : Growing plant with large leaves, Vaseline, black construction paper, paper clips Set up of apparatus :

Procedure A: 1. 2. 3. Green plant is placed at a well-lighted place Both sides of several leaves on the plant are covered with Vaseline. Observations are made for several days and the result is compared with the uncoated leaves. Procedure B: 1. 2. 3. A pattern is cut on a piece of black construction paper. The pattern is clipped on the leaf and leave it attached for several days. The construction paper is removed after several days, and the result is observed.

Results: Procedure A Observation The leaf turns yellowish and become wilted day B Inferences The leaf did not get enough sunlight

by day. Leaf turns pale green and The leaf did not get become wilted day by day. enough sunlight

Problem 2 : Can plants live without water Hypothesis Variable i) ii) iii) Materials : No, plant needs water for photosynthesis to occur. : Fixed Manipulated Responding : Type of seed, sunshine, air : Water : Seeds growth

: Bean seeds, two small flower pots, water, soil, humus.

Set up of apparatus

Procedure :

1. 2. 3. 4.

Bean seeds are planted in each flowerpot. Both plants are placed in sunshine. Plant A is watered lightly each day. Plant B must not be watered.

Results : Plant A Observation Seeds grow tall with bright green leaves B - leaves formed well Seed did not grow Seeds did not receive its basic need Inferences Seeds receive enough water

Problem 3 : Can plants live without air Hypothesis Variable i) ii) iii) : No, plants need air for the process of photosynthesis. : Fixed Manipulated Responding : Type of seed, sunshine, water : Presence of air : Seeds growth

Materials : Bean seeds, two jars and two plastic cups, soil, humus, cotton, water

Set of apparatus

Procedure A: 1. 2. 3. 4. Bean seeds are planted in both jars. Both soils are watered fairly well. When air bubbles cease to rise the air has been expelled from the soil. The first jar is capped, as this will cut off the air supply to the plant. The second plant must be kept moist by watering it as needed.

Procedure B: 1. 2. 3. 4. Two cups are filled with water. A cotton pad is placed on top of one of the cup and some beans on the cotton. This will keep the seed moist. Some seeds are dropped into the second cup filled with water, thus eliminating the air factor. The temperature and light are kept the same for both cups.

Results:

Procedure A

Observation Plant 1 Seeds grow but died eventually

Inferences Seeds did not receive enough air

Plant 2 Seeds grow tall with green leaves Seeds receive enough air

- leaves formed well Plant 1 B Seeds grow thin green leaves Seeds receive enough air

- small leaves Plant 2 Seeds did not grow Seeds did not receive enough air

Discussion Three different tests have been conducted in order to check the effects of the presence of plants basic needs on seeds. Each test is made to focus on one

of the three basic needs that plant needs; sunlight, water, and air. Seeds that have been supplied with sufficient basic need can grow very well whilst the seed that did not get enough basic need either did not grow at all or develop very little. In the first test, a leaf is covered with Vaseline on both sides and on another leaf, a black construction paper is clipped on the top surface. After a few days, both of the leaves seem to be wilted. Both also appear to be yellowish in colour. The leaf that has been covered with Vaseline supposed to be able to undergo photosynthesis because Vaseline coating does not block sunlight from the leaf. However, the bottom side of the leaf has also been covered which has block the stomata on the leaves. Thus, air cannot be exchanged and the leaf cannot undergo photosynthesis process. The leaf did not die immediately because plant did keep some energy in the form of starch. If only the top side or the bottom side is covered, leaf will still be able to live because leaves have stomata on both sides. If the top side is coated, gas exchanges can occur on the bottom side of the leaf and vice versa. In a case of coating being removed after a day, leaf will still be able to live. The leaf can proceed with photosynthesis once the coating that has been closing its pores is removed. The leaf that has been covered with black construction paper turns yellowish and wilted because it did not receive enough sunlight. Unlike on the leaf that has been coated with Vaseline. The pores or stomata on the leaves are able to made gas exchanges. However, in this case, sunlight has been block from the top surface. So, there is a missing basic need which made the leaf unable to undergo photosynthesis. If only half side of the leaf is covered either topside or bottom side, the leaf will be still be able to live. If it is left for a few days, and checked afterwards, we will find that only the part where the leaf has been covered will turn yellowish. Other parts of the leaf will still be able undergo photosynthesis like they normally do. Removing the mask after the leaf started to die will not make the leaf to live again. Once the cells on the leaf start to die, they cannot be developed anymore. In the second test, the seed which has been watered everyday grows with green leaves that formed well. However, the one that has not been watered did

not grow. The second seeds did not get one of the basic needs that is required by every plant, in this case, water. The same result will be obtained for any other kind of seeds because the basic need of any plant is the same. They required water, air and sunlight to grow. Plant cannot receive too much water, or the plant will eventually die. If a plant receives too much water there might be a possibility of sunlight not being able to go through the water or the root might be suffocating because plants breaths through their roots. So, a farmer should not water their plant too much. If a plant receives too much water, the lower leaves will turn yellow, roots will be rotting, and soil will appear green because of algae. On the other hand, if too little water is received by plant, the plant will looks wilted and young leaves will turn brown. The best condition that should be prepared for a plant is damp soil, and efficient drainage system. In this condition, a plant will look fresh as it receives just enough water for it to live. Two kind of experiment is conducted to test plant needs of air. The first experiment is conducted by planting seeds on soil. Before planting the seeds, the air factor is eliminated for the first jar by watered the soil until air bubbles cease to rise. The jar is then capped to cut off air supply to the seeds. The seeds grow but die eventually. The plant is not supposed to grow at all but maybe there is still air trapped under the soil that lets the plant to grow for a few days but after it is run out of air, the plant will start to die. The seeds that had been dropped into the air developed but it did not grow. When the seeds are dropped into the water, the air factor has been eliminated. Thus, seeds are not being able to grow as it did not receive air even though it receives a lot of water. The seeds also did not have any surface to grow on. The other plant has cotton surface to grow on. But even though it grows, the plant does not grow very well. This might be because the plant did not receive minerals from soil. From here, we can say that plant can grow if it receive its basic needs, but will not grow well. Air can be eliminated from the cup by boiling the water first. Boiling water does not contain gases such as carbon dioxide and oxygen. The hotter a substance is, the more energy the molecules have. There are gases such as carbon dioxide and oxygen dissolved in cold water. As we boil the water, these

gases gain energy which lets them escape from the liquid water in which they are trapped. Plants will die if it does not get enough air supply but too much air will never be a problem. That is why we are growing plants outside, in open air but not inside our house or in a special container. Beside the three basic needs that had been discussed, plants also need minerals to grow and develop. Without potassium, plant will be weak and the leaves will turn yellowish. Calcium is required for leaves formation. Without calcium, leaves will deform and we can see death shoots on the plant. Deficiency of sulphur on plants will cause poor development of its roots. Just like animals, plants also need food. Both and animals and plants need food in order for metabolic process to occur in their bodies. Food is also required in order to maintain their structure. Animal and plants might survive if they did not receive food supply for few days as food are saved as glycogen in animals and as starch in plants. But if the food supply is totally cut off, they will die eventually. Conclusion Plants need air, water and sunlight to grow. This are the basic needs of plant and all three of them are required without lacking even one of the factors. Hypothesis is accepted.