A simple method for the quantitative determination of photosynthetic pigments extracted from green beans using thin-layer chromatography is proposed. Various extraction methods are compared, and it is shown how a simple flatbed scanner and free software for image processing can give a quantitative determination of pigments. (Contains 5 figures.)

Flowers are not only pretty, they are also one of the key elements in the process of plant pollination and reproduction that goes from flowers to fruits to seeds! In All About Plant Pollination: Fruit, Flowers & Seeds, young scientists learn about the different parts of a flower through the use of microscopic photography and detailed diagrams.…

How does a tiny seed sprout and grow into a towering tree? Join the kids from M.A.P.L.E as they learn about some of the incredible transformations that a plant goes through during its lifetime. In All About Plant Structure & Growth, uncover the secrets of roots, stems and leaves - structures that are vital to a plant's role as an energy…

The following experiment describes an easy experiment for children 11-12 years old, performed during spring in a compulsory school near Karlstad, Sweden. Four different ripe fruits were placed under flowering plants of Impatiens New Guinea (Impatiens hawkeri) for four days on a table and with plastic bags around both plants and fruits. For one of…

What do plants require in order to survive? In All About Caring for Plants, join young plant enthusiasts as they investigate what plants need to grow from seedlings to healthy adult plants. Discover the basic necessities of a variety of plants, including sunlight, water, appropriate temperature and proper nutrients. Learn how to provide the proper…

Plants provide oxygen, food, shelter, medicine and more for all animals, including humans. In fact, people depend on plants for their very survival just as plants rely on animals! In All About Plant & Animal Interdependency, join aspiring botanists as they discover how plants and animals interrelate. Learn about the constant exchange of gases…

Recent studies of American science education have highlighted the need for more inquiry-based lessons. For example, when the National Research Counsel evaluated the Advanced Placement (AP) Biology program, it pointed out, "AP laboratory exercises tend to be "cookbook" rather than inquiry based. This criticism is particularly apt for the lab…

Plants can survive in even the harshest of environments, from the freezing Arctic to the arid desert. In All About Plant Adaptation, join young plant lovers as they uncover some of the amazing ways that plants have adapted over millions of years enabling them to survive almost anywhere on Earth. Discover how some plants living in cold, arctic…

Even though photosynthesis is an obligatory part of the science curriculum, research has shown that students often have a poor understanding of it. The authors advocate that classroom coverage of the topic of photosynthesis should include not only its biochemical properties but also the role of photosynthesis or photosynthetic organisms in matter…

Argues that treatment of one investigative longitudinal topic from start to finish in a high school biology class can illustrate many major ideas and concepts. Discusses ways to use various longitudinal studies of plant growth with General Biology classes. (WRM)

The Radish Party inquiry is designed to teach the importance and relevance of soil organic matter to young students. In this investigation, students grow radishes in three different kinds of soils: sand, sand plus nutrients, and potting soil (soil that includes organic matter). The experience described here was conducted with first- and…

This paper describes an easy experiment to study the absorption and action spectrum of photosynthesis, as well as the inhibition by heat, high light intensity and the presence of the herbicide 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU) on the photosynthetic process. The method involves measuring the chlorophyll fluorescence emitted by intact…

Describes a laboratory exercise used by botany students to verify their textbook's teaching about photosynthesis and respiration. (ZWH)

How do we support the enthusiasm children show for biology in school? Unfortunately, lack of exciting practical work and boring biology lessons seem to make science less popular. As a senior lecturer in plant physiology at Karlstad University I have simplified experiments intended for students at university and then tested them on 10-11 year old…

DNA microarrays are microscopic arrays on a solid surface, typically a glass slide, on which DNA oligonucleotides are deposited or synthesized in a high-density matrix with a predetermined spatial order. Several types of DNA microarrays have been developed and used for various biological studies. Here, we developed an undergraduate laboratory…