Lab Report On Spinach

Have you ever really wondered how different variables can affect how plants go through photosynthesis? Well, in this experiment, the purpose was to see how various environmental conditions can affect the overall photosynthetic capacity of a specific plant. The factors, light, darkness, cold, and heat were applied to see how the different components would affect the photosynthesis on spinach plants. Each group was given a different factor to test. Out group was given the light factor. The hypothesis for this experiment is that when adding light as a factor, the light will affect the overall plant photosynthesis.

The image above is our chromatogram, you can see at the top the orange bands of a carotene, next are the bands of xanthophylls which are yellow. The next light green bands directly bellow the yellow is chlorophyll a, the darker green bands are chlorophyll b. In order to test absorbance of the chlorophylls they were cut out of this chromatogram submerged into acetone and then used to get an absorption spectrum as seen below.

Lycopene and β-carotene are separated using thin layer chromatography (TLC). A mixture of tomato paste containing dissolved lycopene and β-carotene is first spotted on a TLC plate. The technique uses a stationary phase layer, on which the substances stick, and a mobile phase, which migrates upwards the plate and carries the components of the mixture with itself (Chemguide). Depending on their respective polarity, lycopene and β-carotene stick more or less to the stationary phase and so they migrate up the TLC plate at different rates (Chemguide). Thus, as the chromatography is completed, the two components will appear as distinct dots at different heights on the plate. Lycopene has a bright orange color, whereas β-carotene is light yellow.

My lab partners and I performed an experiment that involved placing spinach disks into separate cups of distilled water (dH2O) and 0.2% sodium bicarbonate (NaHCO3) solution to examine photosynthesis in leaf tissue (Department of EEB, 2015). Discovering that the spinach disks quickly floated to the top of the 0.2% NaHCO3 solution and not in dH2O, we wondered if varied concentrations of carbonation would affect the rate of photosynthesis (PS). We tested this by halving the 0.2% NaHCO3 solution (using equal parts dH2O and 0.2% NaHCO3 solution to make 0.1% NaHCO3 solution). I hypothesize that if the spinach disks are placed in the 0.1% NaHCO3 solution, then they will have a slower PS compared to the disks placed in 0.2% NaHCO3. CO2

In generalization, there are a multitude of factors that could potentially influence the germination of a radish seed. This lab thoroughly exhibits the effect of water amounts on the germination of a radish seed. There is indeed an in-depth science behind the projected results, and overall of the effects water has on the germination of radish seeds, and the growth of plants in particular. Radishes themselves are moisture-loving plants; therefore, it is significant that they receive an adequate amount of water, allowing the soil to be moist, but not overly saturated (Biology Coach, 2015). In general, water is significant for the health of a plant in the way it transports important nutrients throughout the plant. From this point, nutrients are drawn from the soil and used by the plant. Seed germination itself is defined as the process where the seed sprout for growing, and future development into a plant. In order to germinate, the seed must have its essential needs met until it is capable of doing so: water, temperature, and sun. Therefore, during its early stages of growth, the seed will rely upon the food supplies stores within it, until it is large enough for its own leaves to begin making food through photosynthesis (Biology of Plants, 2016). Initially, the process of germination begins with the absorption of water y there seed, therefore, this absorption of water then activates an enzyme that increases

At the start of this experiment we were required to obtain a set of four Wisconsin Fast Plants, which are genetically, known as Brassica rapa. These plants have been, “originally selected under continuous fluorescent light to grow and reproduce quickly for research purposes, these petite, fast-growing plants have been used for teaching biology concepts” (Wisconsin Fast Plants). These four pots that contain our plants will be under our watch for the next 16 weeks where we will show our results at the end of the semester.

A plant's growth ability is dependent on its ability to acquire the resources it needs to survive. Competition such as interspecific and intraspecific, limiting resources, and population density affect the fitness level of a plant. This experiment was conducted in order to test the capability of collards and radishes to grow in manipulated densities under interspecific and intraspecific competition. I hypothesized that both collard and radish plants will grow more efficiently in single species pots under low-density conditions. I also hypothesized that in the mixed species plots the radishes will be more fit to survive and grow better than the collard plants in both the high and low-density pots. Both high and low density and single and mixed species plots were planted and results were observed. There was a significant

In the beginning of this experiment, our TA added water, salt, and 75/25 hexane/acetone to spinach leaves to a blender and blended the mixture to assume equal amounts for each group and to avoid erros if each student had to do the blending. The addition of the water to the mixture allowed the it to separate into a distinct organic layer after being run in a centrifuge, which was available to be collected at the top of the centrifuge. Salt reduces solubility, which will force the organic parts of the mixture (the desired pigments for example) to separate into the organic layer at the top. Lastly, 75/25 hexane/acetone is added because this is a moderately polar solvent and will useful for both the non-polar and polar pigments present within the spinach leaves. A mixed solution of hexanes and acetone must be used because acetone is very polar, while hexane in very non-polar, and the spinach leaves contain both non-polar and polar pigments in them that are important in the extraction and for further analysis. The mixture was placed in the centrifuge so the solids in the mixture (mostly cellulose) could be separated from the liquids into separate distinct layers for further extraction and testing. In the tube, the organic substances separated into the top layer, whereas the water layer remains at the bottom of the tube below the solid layer made up of mainly cellulose.

Abstract: The purpose of this lab is to separate and identify pigments and other molecules within plant cells by a process called chromatography. We will also be measuring the rate of photosynthesis in isolated chloroplasts. Beta carotene, the most abundant carotene in plants, is carried along near the solvent front because it is very soluble in the solvent being used and because it forms no hydrogen bonds with cellulose. Xanthophyll is found further from the solvent font because it is less soluble in the solvent and has been slowed down by hydrogen bonding to the cellulose. Chlorophylls contain oxygen and nitrogen and are bound more tightly to the paper than the other pigments.

Experiment 1 (Assignment 3): Using sciccors, leaves from the Geranium plant were cut (Plant A was the bigger leaf and Plant B was the smaller leaf). Then begin to heat up the hot plate to boiling temperature of 100℃. Next one beaker was filled with ⅔ of water and another beaker was filled with ⅓ alcohol. Place the beaker of water onto the hot plate until boiling. To speed up the boiling process put boiling chips into the beaker. Then put Plant A (the leaf exposed to air) into the boiling water for 3-5 minutes. After time is up, using tongs, place Plant A directly into the alcohol solution for another 3-5 minutes. When time is up, take out Plant A and place it into a clean petri dish. Once the plant is properly placed, cover the leaf completely

The initial experiment was a success. As our treatment group spent more and more time under the lights, the absorbance rate continues to decrease toward zero. Once our 30 minutes were up, the absorbance rate in each tube was significantly lower than at the start of our experiment. In contrast the two control groups did significantly lower the absorbance. Each control lacked one of the vital aspects of photosynthesis, one being light, and the other being chloroplast. Neither of the control groups (Control 1 or 2) showed any signs of photosynthesis. Control 1 was exposed to light, but contained no photosynthetic organelles thus the absorbance throughout the 30 minutes varied minimally, mostly staying stagnant. Control two which contained chloroplast but was not exposed to any light failed to lower the absorbance at all and in fact increased the absorbance over the 30 minutes. However, the treatment group contained both and ultimately performed photosynthesis as we expect therefore, confirming our assumption that chloroplast were the organelles required for photosynthesis in plants and that light is required to perform said photosynthesis. The treatment group, containing both the chloroplast and being exposed to light provided evidence that photosynthesis was taking place as the absorbance lowered at each 10-minute interval. Having a less absorbance would be desired because as DCIP became reduced we would expect the solution to become more and more clear, thus less

Pigments extracted from different greens have different polarities and may be different colors. Mixed pigments can be separated using chromatography paper. Chromatography paper is able to separate mixed pigments due to their polarity and solubility. Pigments of chlorophyll a, chlorophyll b and beta carotene will be separated on chromatography paper because each has its own polarity and solubility, which results in different distance traveled up the paper. Beta carotene is non-polar so it travels the highest distance, followed by chlorophyll a. Chlorophyll b is the most polar; therefore, it travels the shortest distance. The separated pigments on the chromatography paper can be eluted in acetone and absorbance spectrum is

The purpose of this experiment was to take spinach leaves and extract the chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments by using acetone as the solvent. The chlorophyll and carotenoid pigments were extracted by using column chromography and alumina was used as the solvent. Solvents of different polarities were used, starting with the least polar, to extract the certain components from the leaves. They were then analyzed by using thin- layer chromatography.

After wearing the gloves we obtained a chromatography vial from professor and label it with my and my peer initials. We dried up the chromatography vial in fume hood and added 1 ml of chromatography solvent to the vial. Then we took a chromatography strip and measure it 1.5 cm with ruler from one end of the strip and drew a line with pencil we cut two small pieces below the pencil line to form a pointed end. We applied spinach on the strip using quarter to rub the spinach leaf on the line that we drew on the strip and put it into the chromatography vial and placed that in fume hood. We observed as the solvent was moving up the chromatography strip by capillary action. When the solvent was reached approximately 1 cm from the top of the strip then we removed the cap from the vial. We took out the strip from the vial using forceps and marked up the location of the solvent front because it evaporates quickly. We measure out the distance as well as the pigment in order to find out the rf value. Moreover we compared rf values to the one in reference list in order to identify the

For lab 12, it is hypothesized that chlorophylls a and b are present in a plant leaf and contribute to the starch production in photosynthesis. Also, products of photosynthesis will be present in leaf tissue exposed to red and blue light wavelengths for several days, but a decreased presence in leaf tissue exposed to green and black light wavelengths. In lab 13, it is expected that since chlorophylls a and b are more polar and smaller molecules than the anthyocyanins and carotenoids, they will travel higher up the chromatography paper than the other pigments.