Unit 3 Reflection

Unit 3 Reflection

This unit was about the cell. It went in depth on how the cell came to be, and how it supports itself today with certain processes.

My strengths of this unit would be understanding the cell’s organelles and their functions. I understand the cell’s processes like photosynthesis and cellular respiration to a certain extent, but the very specifics of each process i have a weakness with.

The topics that were difficult to understand would be these processes. This is because of how important knowing the exact amount of product specific amount of reactants can make is crucial to the understanding of this section.

Managing the units of this class is really simple, because there is almost a set amount of time that the vodcasts take to complete, and as long as conclusions and lab related things are completed on time the unit is manageable.

In collaborative settings, i work differently than in personal settings. In collaborative settings, i like to work by myself, since when I have a partner I’m either hampering them or vice versa.

I want to learn more about the equations associated with photosynthesis. I want to learn more about this because the huge role that photosynthesis plays in energy production within a cell is fascinating.

I feel like i haven’t changed much. I am just about the same student as i was yesterday, but i may have gained some knowledge on photosynthesis and cellular respiration overnight. Some things about the cell and its organelles also entered my mind. I didn’t know much about cytosol, but after a vodcast I learned about its location in the cell and its function in a cell.

I’ve prepared for the test by rereading my notes, copying down the things i didn’t understand, quizzing myself on the things in the notes, and rewatching parts of vodcasts that i didn’t understand.

Photosynthesis Virtual Labs

Photosynthesis Virtual Labs

Lab 1: Glencoe Photosynthesis Lab

http://www.glencoe.com/sites/common_assets/science/virtual_labs/LS12/LS12.html

Analysis Questions

1. Make a hypothesis about which color in the visible spectrum causes the most plant growth and which color in the visible spectrum causes the least plant growth?

If Lettuce reflects green light and green light is shone upon it, then it will grow the least.

If Lettuce reflects green light and red light is shone upon it, then it will grow the most.

2. How did you test your hypothesis? Which variables did you control in your experiment and which variable did you change in order to compare your growth results?

I tested my hypothesis by putting a lettuce plant under each color of light. The control was the plant, and the variable that i changed in order to compare my growth results was the color of the light.

Results:

Filter Color	Lettuce Avg. Height (cm)
Red	7.3
Orange	4.1
Green	3.16
Blue	8
Violet	5.5

3. Analyze the results of your experiment. Did your data support your hypothesis? Explain. If you conducted tests with more than one type of seed, explain any differences or similarities you found among types of seeds.

My data did not support my hypothesis fully, because even though green did turn out to have the least amount of growth, the blue had the most amount of growth, rather than the red.

4. What conclusions can you draw about which color in the visible spectrum causes the most plant growth?

The color blue causes the most plant growth because after putting 6 different samples of lettuce under the blue light, the average between all six of them was the highest at 8 inches after 30 days.

5. Given that white light contains all colors of the spectrum, what growth results would you expect under white light?

I would expect maximum growth results as the plant has access to all types of light, so even if i reflects green it still has many colors of light it can accept and gain energy from.

Site 2: Photolab

http://www.kscience.co.uk/animations/photolab.swf

Question: Which amount of carbon dioxide, light intensity, and temperature produces the most amount of oxygen?

Hypothesis: If the water is heated to the highest temperature, then the plant will produce the most amount of oxygen.

Independent Variable: light color, light intensity, water temperature, and CO2 levels.

Dependent Variable: the amount of photosynthesis the plant can undergo.

Control: The Temperature

Temperature(celsius)	Oxygen per minute
10	50
25	22
40	61

C.E.R

In this lab I asked the question “Which temperature produces the most amount of oxygen?” My claim was that the highest temperature of water would produce the most amount of oxygen. When all the other variables were the same, the lowest temperature of water(10 degrees) provided 50 oxygen per minute, the second highest temperature(25 degrees) yielded 22 oxygen per minute, and the highest temperature(40 degrees) produced 61 oxygen per minute. This evidence supports our claim because the highest temperature of water did produce the most oxygen, 11 more than the nearest competitor.

P.A

This lab was done to demonstrate the best temperature for underwater plants to do photosynthesis. From this lab I learned when plants best function and produce oxygen. I can apply this to real life because if I ever own a plant, i can put it in warmer water so that it will be more healthy and complete more cycles of photosynthesis.

Egg Cell Macromolecules Lab Conclusion

Macromolecules Lab Conclusion

C.E.R

In this lab we asked the question: “Can macromolecules be identified in an egg cell?” We found that at least one macromolecule was found in any part of the egg. In the yolk, there were proteins, lipids, monosaccharides, and polysaccharides. In the egg white, there were proteins, monosaccharides, lipids, and polysaccharides. In the membrane, there were proteins, lipids, and polysaccharides. This data supports our claim because lipids are known to make up parts of the membranes, proteins are required for growth structural development, and monosaccharides and polysaccharides are required for energy.

P.E

Our data agrees with the expected results because we were expecting to find proteins in the yolk, lipids in the white, and polysaccharides in the membrane. We had a few errors. First was the amount of yolk, white, and membrane that we used wasn’t the same throughout the whole lab. We might have used too much yolk, or too much white, and we could have prevented this error by being more precise with our measurements. Another mistake we could have accidentally made was the amount of test substance, such as iodine, sudan 3, or the benedicts. Based on how much we put in, we could have gotten varied results. We could have prevented this error in the same way, by being more precise with measurements. We could have improved the lab by being more careful with our egg preparation, so we could get more accurate results, and by being more accurate with the amount of substance that we put into each part of the egg.

P.A

This lab was done to determine which macromolecules are existent in which parts of an egg. From this lab i learned what is inside of an egg, and what nutrients it provides to the chickens inside. Based on my experience from this lab i can eat eggs knowing that i am eating lipids, monosaccharides, polysaccharides, and protein.

Egg Membrane

              The egg membrane tested positive for Lipids. Our experiment showed us that when Sudon 3 was added to the membrane, it changed colors to pink. This supports our claim because it started out as white, and color change signaled presence of lipids.

Egg White

              The egg white tested positive for proteins. Our experiment showed us that when NaOH and CuSO4 were added to the egg white, the egg white changed from yellow to pink. This supports our claim because of the color that it was supposed to turn to (purple). Since it was closer to this color than it was its starting color, this signaled presence of proteins.

Egg Yolk

              The egg yolk tested positive for lipids. Our experiment showed us that when iodine was added to the yolk, it changed colors to orange. This supports our claim because it originally started as yellow, but turned to orange as expected from something containing lipids.

Egg Diffusion Lab Conclusion

Egg Diffusion Lab Conclusion

In this lab, we spent a week preparing the eggs. We put them in acetic acid(vinegar) for a few days so we could dissolve the shell, then we put the eggs in de-ionized water and sugar water. After a few more days, we took the eggs out and began conducting measurements and tests on the eggs. We recorded how much the egg dilated or decreased in size, the circumference of the eggs, and the weight of the eggs.

When the sugar concentration increased after putting the eggs in sugar water, the eggs decreased in size. This happened due to diffusion. The water, which was the solvent, diffused out of the egg, and the sugar, which was the solute, did not enter the cell. Due to this, the cell lost size.

A cell’s internal environment changes based on its external environment because of diffusion. If cells did not diffuse, then this wouldn’t be a problem because its outside environment wouldn’t have an impact on it. For example, in the lab, we put the eggs in vinegar, which dissolved the shell. After we put it in water, the egg decreased in size because it was diffusing with its outside environment, which was water.

This lab demonstrates diffusion, because the egg represented a cell. The outside layer of the egg was the selectively permeable membrane, where diffusion occured. The water which was outside of the egg diffused with the egg, causing water to leave the egg. The egg then decreased in size, showing clear signs of diffusion.

Sprinkling salt on ice makes the ice “warmer”. In essence, the point of the salt is to make the molecules in the ice move faster, so that it doesn’t freeze. Adding salt to regular water decreases the freezing point, so freezing salt water requires a lower temperature than non-salted water. When sprinkling salt on water, we hope that the salt will “diffuse” with the ice, therefore making the ice’s freezing point lower and not freeze.

I would want to test whether or not a solid yolk will react similarly to these tests. Since we were only able to test yolks that were mostly liquid, we didn’t get results that could have happened with a solid yolk. Seeing if the yolk will decrease in size, increase in size, or break will be interesting to see, because the egg was already pretty interesting.

Class Data: Control (DI water)                  Percent change

Group#	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	AVG
Mass	N/A*	N/A*	.74%	.37%	.45%	N/A*	6.95%	1.8%
Circumference	N/A*	N/A*	1.2%	1.7%	0%	N/A*	14.37%	4.3%

*Egg burst

Class Data: Sugar Water                          Percent change

Group#	1	2	3	4	5	6	7
Mass	-46.7%	-52.8%	-52.6%	-49.7%	-41.71%	-39.58%	-47.7%	-47.25
Circumference	-22.4%	-18.75%	-26.3%	-26.60%	-32.35%	-21.21%	-13%	-22.94%