Plant Biology Laboratory Manual

Design a Research Project (discussion only) 1(4) The question is: does jewelweed juice really speed the healing of a poison ivy rash? Extended assignments Microscopy and Plant Cells 5(14) Getting to know your compound microscope Plant cells are dynamic! Diversity in plant cells Chloroplast diversity Cell diversity: cell walls, cell shape, cellular inclusions Further investigations Osmosis: effect of road salts Photosynthesis: Pigments and Starch 19(10) Pigments in plant leaves (paper chromatography) In spinach, are there other pigments besides green ones? Also, which chromatography solvent gives the best pigment separation? What pigments are in red cultivar leaves? What pigments are in autumn or senescent leaves? Starch in plants Starch grains in potatoes Starch in a green leaf vs. red cultivar, variegated, and autumn or other senescent leaf Extended assignment DNA and Mutations (analysis on paper) 29(10) DNA replication From gene to protein DNA mutation and its effect on protein structure DNA mutation and its effect on protein function (advanced) DNA mutation and its effect on the organism Extended assignment Mitosis Cell Division 39(12) Mitosis of a diploid cell (labeled chromosome models) Mitosis of a haploid cell (labeled chromosome models) When things go wrong... (labeled chromosome models) What happens when spindle fibers malfunction? What happens when there is a mutation? Real chromosomes! Make your own plant chromosome ``squashes'' How long do the phases of mitosis last in onion-root tips? Questions to contemplate and discuss Seed Germination 51(10) What is inside a seed? Dormancy: these seeds won't germinate; what do I do? (duration: up to entire term) How is seed germination affected by environmental factors? (duration: 2--3 weeks) Further investigations Plant Development 61(10) Pet the plant: thigmomorphogenesis (t-test) (duration: 5--6 weeks) Seedings and light, revisited How do emerging seedlings protect themselves? (duration: 1--2 weeks) Effect of light on seedling development (duration: 1--2 weeks) Extended assignments Vegetative Propagation and Plant Care 71(16) Get plants for free! Keep plants looking great! Extended assignment (service learning) How toxic is that pesticide? (information retrieval and discussion) Locating information (pre-lab homework) Evaluating your findings (class discussion) Extended assignment (global perspective) Alternatives? (homework and discussion) Alternatives to using insecticides on houseplants Alternatives to herbicides on lawns Tree Investigations: Broad-Leaved Trees 87(14) What do twigs tell you? (field trip) What is a bud? Twig clues Twig growth (t-test) Have you read a good tree stump lately? Tree stumps and logs (field trip) How does a tree function? Hollow trees How does a tree heal itself? How does a tree keep from drying out when its bark keeps ripping open as it grows wider? Extended assignment Forensics: what can a small stem fragment reveal? Roots 101(12) Diversity of roots Root types Root or stem? The root tip: lots of hair and a cap (duration: 1--2 weeks) Forensics: What can a root fragment reveal? Aerenchyma in aquatic plants Extended assignment (duration: entire term) Leaves 113(18) What's in a leaf, and why? Surviving the extremes--structural adaptations The leaf surface--telltale clues Hairs, glands, and cell shape Plasticity of stomatal arrangement Weird leaves--modified for special functions Extended assignments Meiosis Cell Division (labeled chromosome models) 131(10) Meiosis Making offspring The next generation . . . F2 offspring Extended assignment (thought questions) Crossing over and its effects Plant Life Cycles 141(6) Culturing moss and fern spores (duration: up to an entire term) C-FERN® life cycle: chemotaxis of sperm (duration: 3--4 weeks or more) Fern life cycle Sperm chemotaxis Further investigation Patterns of Inheritance 147(16) Inheritance of one gene (pre-lab homework) Inheritance of two genes (pre-lab homework) Corn genetics: evaluating observed vs. expected (chi-square test) One gene---observed vs. expected phenotypes Two genes---observed vs. expected phenotypes Advanced: two genes interacting Advanced: Indian corn from unknown genetic cross Further investigations Asexual reproduction vs. selfing vs. outcrossing: effect on phenotypic diversity? Advanced: dosage effect in endosperm Diversity: Algae, Fungi, Lichens 163(16) Diversity in the field (field trip) Fungi and lichens: diversity and substrate specificity (field trip) Algal diversity: comparing two sites (plankton tows) Up close and personal: algae, fungi and lichens under the microscope Supermarket survey: carrageenan, agar, alginates (homework---extended assignment) Plant Diversity: Seedless Plants 179(10) Diversity in seedless plants (field trip) Diversity in seedless plants (in class) In conclusion: summary of characteristics and evolutionary trends Extended assignments (service learning included) Plant Diversity: Seed Plants 189(14) Diversity in conifers Conifers in the field (trip, and bad weather alternative) Key to conifer genera native to the United States and Canada, plus two alien genera often found on campuses Conifers in class Diversity in flowering plants Extended assignment (service learning) Bibliography of field guides to trees (annotated) Reproduction of Flowering Plants 203(14) Flowers Flower structure in general (dissection) Unisexual (``imperfect'') flowers Fruit and seed structure What is inside a seed? What are you eating? So, what good is knowing stuff about flowers and fruits? Predicting pumpkin production No berries on your berry tree? Extended assignment Plant Interactions 217(8) Microhabitats Allelopathy: ``chemical warfare'' among plants (duration: 1--several weeks) Extended assignment Invasive aliens! (information retrieval) Extended investigation: reproductive potential Appendix 1 THE METRIC SYSTEM 225(8) Exponents and scientific notation The metric system Converting units Centigrade (Celsius) and Fahrenheit interconversions Test yourself! Appendix 2 DATA PRESENTATION 233(6) Experiments and factors investigated Tables and graphs Rate determination Appendix 3 STATISTICS 239 Statistics---The basics The t-test (by hand and by Microsoft® Excel®) Two-sample, two-tailed t-test Paired-sample, two-tailed t-test Chi-square test for genetics problems (by hand)