Plant Investigation Assignment due 6/2 through turnitin.com

This is your last assignment of the year! Worth 15 points, so not life-changing, but don't blow it off! When in doubt, check with me to see if you have the right detail.

• Background (at least 2 paragraphs, including reason for doing it, background research w/ citations)
• Focused question (make it specific!!)
• Variables:  list independent and dependent.  List at least 5 controlled and HOW you will control them.
• Procedure:  include rationale for why you are choosing materials and amounts, how many trials, use specific amounts, etc. (a diagram can be very helpful!)

Options for Next Year

Please look at these Options for next year.  We will study ONE of them and it will be covered on Paper 3 of the IB Biology Test.  This past year we did Neurobiology and Behavior (A) and it went pretty well, but if the others have many merits.  Please review them and vote for one on Thursday 6/2!

A:  Neurobiology and Behavior (Subtopics:  Neural Development, The Human Brain, Perception of Stimuli, Innate and Learned Behavior, Neuropharmacology, and Ethology).
B:  Biotechnology and Bioinformatics (Microbiology, Biotechnology in agriculture, Environmental Protection, Medicine, Bioinformatics)
C:  Ecology and Conservation (Species and communities, communities and ecosystems, impacts of humans on ecosystems, conservation of biodiversity, population ecology, the nitrogen and phosphorus cycles)
D:  Further Human physiology (human nutrition, digestion, functions of the liver, the heart, hormones and metabolism, transport of respiratory gases).

2nd Semester Review Topics for Final Exam

These are the topics you will find on the Final Exam and the sections from the IB book that you have.  The test will be made up of 30-40 multiple choice questions, approximately 6 not-so-short answer questions, and a data-based question with several questions.

Genes, Chromosomes, Meiosis, and Genetics:

3.1, 3.2. 3.3, 3.4, 10.1, 10.2

Replication, Transcription, and Translation

2.7, 7.1, 7.2, 7.3

Enzymes

2.5 and 8.1

Biotechnology

3.5 and 1.1 (stem cells)

Plants

9.1-9.4

End of the Year!!

• Tues 5/24:  Check off Plant and Flower worksheet and go over.  Kahoot Review for Plant Test.  Finish plant video.
• Thurs 5/26:  Take Plant Test.  Brainstorm an investigation you could do with plants.  Due Thursday 6/2 through turnitin.com.  Include Background, Question, Variables, and Procedure.
• Tues 5/31:  Write up your plant proposals and review for the Final Exam.
• Thurs 6/2:  Plant investigation proposals due today through turnitin.com  More review for the final exam.  Late work and extra credit deadline is Friday 6/3!!! (tomorrow)
• Mon 6/6:  Big ole Review for the Final Exam!!
• Tues 6/7:  Finals 1, 2, and 4
• Wed 6/8:  Finals 5, 6, and 8
• Thurs 6/9:  Finals 3 and 7

HAVE A FABULOUS SUMMER!!!

Short-Answer Test Questions for Plant Test on Thursday, May 26

Short Answer Questions.  On test day, we will draw 6 from the hat, and you will answer 4.  I put some words in parentheses to help you now, but those words will not be included with the questions on the test day!! Keep in mind that each of these questions will be worth 6-8 points, so don't think too short in the answer. There will also be multiple choice questions and possibly a data-based question.

1. Describe the process of transpiration of water from leaf to root.  (evaporation, polarity, hydrogen bonds, cohesion, adhesion, hydrophilic xylem, pressure gradient, etc).
2. Describe at least 4 adaptations of xerophytes to conserve water and 2 adaptations of halophytes to survive in saline conditions.  Also, include 3 examples of xerophytes and 1 example of a halophyte.
3. Draw and label a cross-section diagram of a young dicotyledonous stem (6 labels: xylem, phloem, cambium, cortex, epidermis, pith).  Also, give a brief function for each thing labeled.
4. Describe the translocation of phloem sap from source to sink.  (companion cells, proton pumps, active transport, incompressibility, osmosis, hydrostatic pressure, phloem loading, sieve tubes, etc).
5. Describe how scientists use aphid stylets to study translocation rates in plants.  Be specific.  
6. Describe how auxin works to promote phototropism in plants (gene expression, PIN3 proteins, shady side, hydrogen ions, cellulose, cell expansion, etc).
7. Draw and label an animal pollinated flower (stigma, style, anther, filament, petal, sepal, ovary).  Also, give a brief function for each thing labeled.
8. Describe the concept of photoperiodism and how phytochromes PR and PFR control long-day and short-day flowers.  
9. Distinguish between pollination, fertilization, and seed dispersal in plants and give 3 methods of pollination and 3 methods of seed dispersal.
10. Describe the process of seed germination, including factors that affect germination and the role of gibberellin.

Plant Lessons 5/10-5/20

• Tues 5/10:  Observe and water your group's plants.  Turn in hard-copy part of DNA Fingerprinting Lab.  Turn in court testimony through turnitin.com by 11:59 pm tonight.  Overview of transpiration.  Work on 9.1 notes, due at the beginning of class on Thursday.   Look at demos for models of transpiration (capillary tubes and paper towel demo).  Go outside to get leaves and set up tests of transpiration.
• Thurs 5/12:  Check off 9.1 Notes.  Go over xerophytes.  Get a stem from outside and set up a potometer to measure transpiration.  While you wait, do the Virtual Transpiration Lab in your notes.  Fill in the 4X4 Data Table in your notebook and then answer the 7 questions from the simulation.  Take notes on 9.2 for class on Monday 5/16.
•  Mon 5/16:  Check off Virtual Transpiration Lab.  Overview of Translocation and aphid stylets.  Watch videos.  Do data-based questions on pp. 418 and 419 in your notebook.   When finished, start studying 9.3.  Finish reading 9.3 for Wednesday.
• Wed 5/18  Check off DBQ's and 9.2 notes and go over.  Plants growth concepts:  meristems, apical growth, mitosis, growth hormones, plant tropisms.   Hand out Plant and Flower Worksheet.  Read 9.4 for homework and finish Plant and Flower Worksheet.
• Fri 5/20:   Work on Plant and Flower Worksheet.  Plant reproduction.  Gene expression, photoperiodism, flowers, mutualism between flower and pollinator, fertilization, seed dispersal.  Structure of seeds and seed germination.  Watch half of plant video.

Plant Test on Thursday 5/26!!

Notes guidance and vocabulary for 9.1, Notes to be checked off on Thurs 5/12

1. Be able to describe transpiration from leaf to root.  Include properties of water and xylem that make it possible.  Vocabulary to include:  stoma (stomata), guard cells, hydrogen bonds, cohesion, adhesion, hydrophilic, xylem, transpiration stream, transpiration pull, and more!!
2.  Be able to describe the structure of xylem that allows it to withstand pressure and why transpiration through it must be passive.
3. Outline the process of active transport of minerals in roots and how it leads to osmosis.  Describe the role of fungi and mass flow in assisting with the movement of ions to and into roots.
4. Distinguish between symplastic and apoplastic movement of water from root hairs into xylem.
5. Describe adaptations for water conservation in plants, including xerophytes and halophytes.  Give examples of each.  Include C4 physiology.
6. Be able to draw and identify xylem vessels in sections of stems.  Draw pictures like Figures 14 and 16 and study figure 15 (p. 411)
7. Models of water transport done in class:  capillary tubes and filter paper (paper towel)  (Can you design a good porous pot demonstration?  Do it for extra credit.)  Describe what happens with each and any limitations you notice.
8. Describe how a potometer measures transpiration.
9. Describe how you would design an experiment with a potometer to measure the effect of temperature, humidity, surface area of leaf, or wind on transpiration.

DNA Fingerprinting Lab due Tuesday 5/10

Hard-copy of this:

1. Answer questions on back of hand-out
2. Beautiful complete data table!! With your distance measurement and estimated base pair amounts from your graph.
3. Make a HindIII ladder graph with labels, units, title, etc

Court Testimony: turned in through turnitin.com (see question on lab hand-out, p. 1)

4. Summarize the technique you followed as if speaking to an uninformed jury
5. Describe the evidence you have for who did it.  Be specific.
6. Discuss errors and uncertainty.
7. How certain are you of the results?

You will use these known lengths of the DNA fragments for the ladder graph made on semi-log paper to predict the lengths of the DNA fragments of the suspects and crime scene.

Band #            DNA Size (base pairs)
1                               23,130
2                                 9,416
3                                 6,557
4                                 4361
5                                 2322
6                                 2027

Lessons From 4/25-5/6 (revised)

• Tues 4/26:  First part of Gel Electrophoresis Lab.  Get the samples mixed with restriction enzyme and let incubate in water bath for 1 hr.  While we wait, we will finish our Biotech Ethics Discussion.
• Thurs 4/28:  Load and run the samples on the gel.  Go over what will be on the Enzyme and Biotech Test next Friday 5/6 after samples are running.
• Mon 5/2:  Final draft of Enzyme Lab due today through turnitin.com.  Look at Gels under the UV light and take photos of gel.  Please share your photo with me and the other members of your group.  Set up seeds for germination.  Go over what to do for Ladder Graph and data-processing.  Completed court testimony and processed data due next Tues 5/10.  
• Wed 5/4:  Questions on data-processing for Gel Electrophoresis Lab?  Review enzyme and biotech concepts for Friday's test.  Check seeds.  
• Fri 5/6:  Enzyme and Biotech Test.  Check seeds and/or plants.  Questions on DNA Fingerprinting Lab?  Due Tues 5/10 (part of it hard-copy as described above and part through turnitin.com).   Start Chapter 9 using books and worksheet.  Read 9.1 thoroughly over the week-end!  We will go through Chapter 9 on plants quickly and you need to keep up!!  I will also be asking you to write your own notes based on the reading and some links to IB notes that I will put on the website.