Anila+Research


 * Anila Wallace **


 * What is the Affect of Vitamin D on Plant Growth? **


 * Honors Biochem Period 2 **


 * My hypothesis is If Vitamin D is applied to Green bean plants, The plants will grow more healthy due to the abundance of vitamin D. **


 * I will be using a Green Bean Plant as my organism and milk as my source of Vitamin D. The independent variable is the milk. The dependent Variable is plant growth because the plant growth depends on the milk. **

__**About My Organism: **__

Kingdom: Plantae Division: Magnoliophyta Order: Angiosperms Family: Fabaceae or legume Subfamily: Peas and Pulses Genus: Phaseolus Species: Plants
 * __Classification__**


 * __Cell type, Organization and Body Plan- __**

Plants are multicellular. Most plants are multicellular, and by most I mean that any which have leaves, stems, roots, flowers. There are a few unicellular plants, but these are small little things, for example the green layer you might find in pond water. Plants are also eukaryotes. Eukaryotes are mainly land plants and animals, large – macroscopic (Seen with the eye) – organisms, usually consisting of trillions of individual cells. Plants have tissues. Their cells combine together to create tissues. Plants have three types of tissues. Dermal, Vascular, and Ground. Dermal tissues are found on the outer surface. Dermal tissue is composed of epidermal cells, closely packed cells that secrete a waxy cuticle that aids in the prevention of water loss. The ground tissue is found in the bulk of the primary plant body. Vascular tissue transports food, water, hormones and minerals within the plant. Plants do have organs. The roots, stem, and leaves are the organs contained by plants. They have two reproductive systems that produce seeds which are spread by nature creating other plants alike.


 * __Types of metabolism-__**

Plants have both photosynthesis and respiration metabolisms. Photosynthesis is the process of a plant making its own food in order to eat. The food plants produce is sugar. The scientific name is glucose. A plant needs light, chlorophyll, CO2, and water as basic raw materials to produce glucose. Respiration is done by the plant "breathing" in carbon dioxide and turning the carbon dioxide into oxygen. The oxygen stored in the plant then comes out of the leaves and into the air. Thus you have respiration! Plants also have Enzymes. Enzymes are large protein molecules that serve as catalysts to lower the energy required for reactions to take place in cells. Cells can manufacture thousands of enzymes. However, cells will only produce enzymes needed for specific reactions. Therefore, not all cells carry all the same enzymes.


 * __Reproduction-__**

Plants are asexual. The plant produces seeds that are then spread by wind which go into the soil and make more plants.The flower is the reproductive organ of a flowering plant. pollen grains from the male stamen must be carried to the female part of the flower, the pistil. Pollination leads to the making of one or more seeds in a flower. The number of offspring depends to number of seeds spread. The //gestation// period is a scientific term for the length of time, from conception to birth, an embryo turned fetus remains in the womb of its mother. In this case, gestation is the amount of time the plants flower produces seeds, pollination, and the birth of a new plant.


 * __Evolutionary Information-__**



Algae and seaweed were the first plants exsisting 1.5 BYA. Then along came Liverworts, hornworts, and mosses in 420 MYA. lycopods came 410 MYA, Ferns 400 MYA, Then horsetails 375 MYA. Between the 420 MYA and 300 MYA, xylem, phloem, woody tissue, and seeds came into exsistance. 300 MYA, Gymnosperms such as conifers, ginkgos, and cycads sprouted. Betwwen 300 MYA and 120 MYA Flowers and carpel sprouted also. leading to angiosperms 120 MYA.

__**Interdependence-**__

Plants are VERY low on the food chain. If it were not for decomposers and the sun, plants would be the absolute bottom of the food chain. Everything in the food chain eats plants and animals do not directly eat plants, the animals that are eaten have eaten plants. Consumers feed on plants for many reasons. Plants are found mostly anywhere and plants that grow food such as apples, pears, and beans are always eaten. Plants eat sun. I know, its sounds crazy but, this is how it works. Plants take the suns rays and mix it with the chlorophyll produced in its body, CO 2 breathed in through its leaves, and water obtained from either nature or man and creates its own sugar substance called glucose. Plants live and grow from just that. In Trophic levels, plants are producers. Plants have symbiotic relationships. There are three symbiotic relationships: Parisitism, Mutualism, and Commensatism. In Parasitism, one specie benefits while the other is harmed. In Mutualism, both species benefit. As in Commensalism, one specie benefits while the other is not affected. Plants experience all three. In parasitism, bugs and other insects eat at plants taking their nutrients and they get weaker. In Mutualism, A bee lands on a plant and picks up its pollen and seeds and spreads them. And, In Commensatism, an animal can use a plant for shade where the plant is unaffected.



__**Homeostasis-**__

Green beans should be grown in a warm weather crop in spring after all danger of cold weather is gone. Like most vegetables, green beans require plenty of sun and lots of moisture. Since beans have a shallow root system be sure to water well and frequently - especially when blooms appear. To avoid disturbing the delicate root system later, secure poles or stakes early in the growing cycle if planting pole beans. Green beans are grown in all of the United States and in Mexico. As long as it is the right growing season, you can grow green beans in almost any state. Optimal bean growth occurs in soil with a pH between 5.8 and 6.5. Beans need full sun and the warmth that comes along with it to grow successfully. Temperatures under 25 degrees Celsius cause stunted bean growth.

(My Drawing)

__**Independent Variable-**__

My independent variable in this experiment is the source of Vitamin D or Milk. An independent variable is a variable in an experiment that causes change. There is little information on the affect of Vitamin D on Bean plant Growth. This makes my experiment much more interesting because there is not really an ample amount of information backing my hypothesis or denying the validity of my hypothesis. Milk in the U.S is composed of 87.7% water, 4.9% lactose (carbohydrate), 3.4% Fat, 3.3% protein, and .7% Minerals. The pH of milk varies from 6.4 to 6.8.The milk depends on the species breed (Cow, Goat, Sheep), Breed, the animals food, and stage of lactation. There are Five stages of Lactation in cows: Early, Mid, Late, Dry and Calving. Early would be when the milk production is on the upswing after calving. This lasts from calving to 60-80 days or so but is generally considered the first 60 days. Mid lactation is when the milk production is relatively stable, or more properly dropping off slowly and will last a few months. Basically 2-8 months post calving. Late lactation is when the milk production starts dropping off faster, basically after 8 months or so. Dairy cattle are typically dried off 60 days before calving, although sometimes if there's one that's had a really long lactation (typically due to being hard to get bred), they will naturally dry themselves off by simply not producing much milk. Calving occurs when the cow is pregnant.

__**Dependent Variable-**__

If Milk is applied to the soil of the bean plant, the bean plant will grow more abundantly. The dependent variable in this experiment is the plant growth. Plant growth is dependent on the amount of Vitamin D put into the soil which makes it the dependent variable. This relates to my organism because if the Vitamin D does make my plant grow, my hypothesis will be correct and my experiment will be a success. But, if my hypothesis is wrong and the plant growth is stunted or even dies, my experiment will be a failure. To measure this variable, I will have ten bean plants in soil. Five of the plants will grow on their own with regular water and sunlight while the other five plants will be given doses of Vitamin D. This will help me compare the plant growth between the two. I will measure the amount of leaves and the height of the plants. I will measure the height in centimeters and the number of leaves in numbers.

__**Research Connection-**__

My independent variable will affect my organism by inserting more than the usual amount of vitamin D into my organism and much like steroids increasing the growth of my plant. Since milk is made up of mostly water, the plant will still be getting its water that it needs but it will also be getting extra things like protein and minerals. If the pH of the milk used is 6.4 and the pH of the plants soil is 6.5, the hypothesis will be successful. Also, if the plant is kept in sunlight, well heated environments, and where there are people breathing out CO2, the plant will grow healthy meaning, the results will be more accurate. The plant has many needs that just like water milk has. Milk has enough water to support plant life because over 80% of milk is water.