Describe the process of transpiration in vascular plants
Similar to other living organisms, plants possess the capacity to regulate their internal atmosphere. Vascular plants scientifically known as tracheophytes possess conducting tissue which offers independence from a wet or dry environment. These plants have a multifaceted structure of tubes known as the vascular system to carry water and other important solutes. Phloem moves all through the plant as it conveys biological solutes in aqueous states in all direction. Reliant on the period and the plant's requirements, phloem can even alter its flow course.
Xylem originates at the root running via the stems and concludes at small pores known as stomata in the leaves. The Stomata usually open and close, dependant not merely on time of day, however similarly upon the osmotic situation of the plant. The procedure of water movement via xylem and out via the stomata is recognized as transpiration. Though, approximately 99% of the water received by the roots is transpired directly into the atmosphere devoid of participating in a plant’s metabolism, that 1% is all that's wanted for the plant to preserve its main metabolic purposes, comprising photosynthesis and respiration.
Describe any experimental controls used in the investigation.
Every experiment has a control of some sort to attribute the results to by comparing them to it. Therefore, the control groups entailed the plants that were subjected to normal conditions.
What environmental factors that you tested increased the rate of transpiration?
Discussing the results, it is apparent that the rate of transpiration increased in the plants that were subjected to the heater, fan and lamb. That is to say that heat (heater), wind (fan) and light (lamb) stimuli increased the rate of transpiration
Was the rate of transpiration increased for all plants tested?
Judging on the results attained, it would be safe to conclude that the rate of transpiration increased in all the plants tested.
Did any of the environmental factors (heat, light, or wind) increase the transpiration rate more than the others? Why?
The rate of transpiration is affected by numerous factors. Some of the factors were tested in this experiment. However, there are some factors that have more effects on the rate than others. Following the results obtained, the fan (wind) increased the rate with Arrowhead exhibiting 7.5, Coleus 6.0, Devil’s Ivy 4.6, Dieffenbachia 7.7, English Ivy 5.1, Geranium 4.7, Rubber Plant 8.4, Weeping Plant 6.1 and Zebra Plant 7.6. These were higher compared to individual plant transpiration rates as a result of the other stimuli.
Which species of plants that you tested had the highest transpiration rates? Why do you think different species of plants transpire at different rates?
The rubber plant recorded the highest rate across all the stimuli. Another factor that influences transpiration is the type of species. However, the high rate of transpiration is an indicator of a need of a plant to excrete more water and vice versa. For a plant to excrete more water means that there is a lot of water around it. Therefore, each species of plant has a transpiration rate ideal for its domestic environment.
Suppose you coated the leaves of a plant with petroleum jelly. How would the plant's rate of transpiration be affected?
Stomata are the organs of a plant that are primarily responsible for transpiration. There are situated in leaves. If the stomata are blocked then the rate of transpiration is significantly reduced. That is why the jelly would prevent transpiration from occurring.
Of what value to a plant is the ability to lose water through transpiration?
Transpiration is in charge of the absorption of water from soil. The water is used for photosynthesis and respiration. It is also in charge of movement of water and liquefied solutes and minerals from the soil via roots to diverse organs of a plant. In addition, it as well causes cooling of the exteriors of leaves thus guarding them from extreme heat.
Suggest reasons why the information represented in the pyramid of numbers of animals of one of the ecosystems you studied may not truly represent that ecosystem.
Ecosystems are not constant since they are dynamic. They change depending on many factors. Some of the factors include environmental conditions. For instance, in the winter there is a possibility of less plant life and a higher profusion of animals.
According to your data, what is the ratio of third-order consumers to producers? Explain your answer.
The results vary from environment to environment for the specific species. However, the ratio of third-orders consumers to producers remains high and constant among the eco habitats. In other words, there are always more producers compared to consumers.
Compare and contrast two of the ecosystems you studied. How is the energy conversion efficiency similar or different?
Does the population size increase or decrease at higher trophic levels in the pyramid of numbers of an ecosystem consisting of a tree, insects (that are herbivores) and birds feeding on the insects? Explain your answer.
As with the pyramid illustration, living things at the bottom of the pyramid such as trees exist in higher numbers than living things such as birds and insects higher in the pyramid. This decrease in biomass coincides with a decrease in energy conversion. Less energy at the top equates to less food for animals in that zone.
What might happen to an ecological pyramid of numbers in a forest ecosystem if most of the deer were killed due to hunting by people and disease?
The removal of deer would coincide with a reduction in alternative food sources for the deer’s predator. It would also affect predator populations. Plants used by deer for food would be expected to increase ultimately affecting the balance of the entire pyramid. Eventually, the pyramid would find a new balance or a new normal.
What would happen to an ecosystem if the decomposers disappeared?
Decomposers break down dead animals and plants. The reduction of these important living organisms would affect the entire ecosystem as living things like plants that rely on nitrogen in soil created by the decomposers are reduced and as a result all living things existing above them are also adversely affected as biomass and the energy conversion is reduced.
Could there be a food chain without herbivores and carnivores?
What the food chain expression is essentially keen on is the movement of energy amid organisms; namely, an herbivore consumes a plant getting energy. It is then consumed by a carnivore, and energy is transferred to it. A food chain without herbivores or carnivores would mean few plants because these two are required for cross-pollination, and seed dispersion. On the other hand, without the two, a food chain would have the producers, the detritivores and the omnivores.
Make a hypothesis about how you think the two species of paramecia will grow alone and how they will grow when they are grown together.
When grown individually, both the species will grow normally. When they are grown together, one of the species will prove to be the better competitor and become the more predominant of the two species as they grow.
Explain how you tested your hypothesis
Every two days a sample was taken from each of the tubes starting with day 0. As the days progressed, tubes 1 and 2 progressed normally until around day 10 for tube 1 and then they started to decline and around day 12 for tube 2. For tube number three, they started off equal and then as the days progressed the Aurelia species took over dominance. By day 14, it was entirely Aurelia species that had grown.
On what day did the Paramecium caudatum population reach the carrying capacity of the environment when it was grown alone? How do you know?
The carrying capacity is the greatest number of living organisms a given environment can sustain. The Paramecium caudatum population reached the carrying capacity of the environment on day 10. This is because on subsequent days, the population never exceeded 60.
On what day did the Paramecium aurelia population reach the carrying capacity of the environment? How do you know?
The carrying capacity is the greatest number of individuals a given environment can sustain. The Paramecium aurelia population reached the carrying capacity of the environment on day 14. On subsequent days, the population never exceeded 100.
Explain the differences in the population growth patterns of the two paramecium species. What does this tell you about how Paramecium aurelia uses available resources?
Looking at the results, Paramecium Aurelia has a more rapid growth pattern compared to Caudatum. It is also more economical in terms of utilising resources since it appears that Aurelia used its resources more effectively. The Aurelia grew faster and maintained its carrying capacity longer than Caudatum. The Caudatum appeared to use up its resources faster and thus started to decline sooner. The Paramecium aurelia can sustain higher populations. It can be hypothesized that this organism requires less resources to sustain itself
Describe what happened when the paramecium populations were mixed in the same test tube. Do the results support the principle of competitive exclusion?
The competitive exclusion principle, also known as Gause's Law depicts that two species that contend for the same resources cannot firmly cohabit. The results support this principle. In the beginning, the two began at the same growth rate. Then, the Aurlia began to grow at a more rapid rate in the process domineering. By day 8, the caudatum species discontinued its growth and began to decline towards extinction. By the 14th day, caudatum had faced extinction and Aurelia had dominated. Therefore, the principle of competitive exclusion was supported in this experiment
Explain how this experiment demonstrates that no two species can occupy the same niche
Again, when the two mixtures were combined, the more rapid growing species began to take dominance and grew rapidly where the other grew slowly and then at day 8 began to decline in growth where it was no longer seen by day 14.
Based on the results of your investigation, what conclusions can you draw about the relationship between a muscle's workload and its threshold of stimulation?
We can settle on that the heavier the workload, the more complex the stimulation threshold.
Why would a muscle's threshold of stimulation change as its workload changes?
The muscle’s stimulation threshold has to be capable of changing in relation to workload. If it were not dynamic as in constant, it would ultimately fail to react when more work was put on it. Heavier workload muscles possess more bundles necessitating more stimuli to trigger all the bundles
Which muscles were able to contract under the greatest loads? What does this suggest about the role these muscles play in frog movement?
The leg muscles involving the thigh and calf were capable of contracting under bigger loads compared to the forelimb muscles. This proposes that a frog’s leg muscles are able to provide the strong force essential for movement, like leaping. The thigh muscle was also able to contract under utmost loads signifying its significant role in movement, precisely jumping.
Describe an experiment you might perform to determine which leg muscles of a frog are important for jumping long distances
A frog’s Individual leg muscles can be actually isolated, and the stimulation thresholds could be established using the same process employed to test the muscles in this experiment.
References
Anderson, D, (2011) Measurement, Scientific Method, Organic Molecules ,Cells and Membranes and Respiration .Professor of Biology ·
