Stomata Lab Report free essay sample

During those high-carbon-dioxide times, plants with fewer stomata will have an advantage and will be common. On the other hand, when carbon dioxide levels are low, plants need many stomata in order to scrape together enough carbon dioxide to survive. During low-carbon-dioxide times, plants with more stomata will have an advantage and will be common. (Understanding Evolution) Therefore, the question to be tested will be if you count the number of stomata of the same species of leaf at different stages of life will the number of stomata be different? My hypothesis is if we count the number of leaf stomata at three different stages of life then the number of stomata will be less as the leaf gets older because the leaf is dying. (Understanding Evolution) Procedure Approximately three leaves of the where gathered to use in this experiment. Each leaf was at a different stage of life: alive, dying, and dead. We will write a custom essay sample on Stomata Lab Report or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page A thin cast of a tiny part of the surface of the underside of each leaf was created using NYC clear nail polish. The imprint of each leaf’s underside was viewed one at a time under a light microscope using the cast, which was carefully removed from each leaf with a piece of packing tape. The stomata were completely visible and were able to be counted under the lowest view setting of 100x. The stomata of each leaf were observed and counted four times. When viewing the stomata in each leaf for detail, the setting of 400x was used. This made the view of the stomata large enough to tell whether they were open or not. The number and description of the stomata of each leaf was recorded. Results Life stage of Leaf| Number of Stomata| Average| Coloration of Leaf| Alive| Trial One: 36s| Trial Two: 34s| 34. 5| | | Trial Three: 34s| Trial Four: 34s| | | Dying| Trial One: 34s| Trial Two: 31s| 31. 75| | | Trial Three: 30s| Trial Four: 32s| | | Dead| Trial One: 27s| Trial Two: 32s| 29. 25| | | Trial Three: 29s| Trial Four: 29s| | | s=Stomata Graph- Number of stomata counted on each stage of life for the leaf X=Trials Y=Number of stomata Results (continued) The number of stomata on each leaf averaged between 29. 25 and 34. 5 stomata in one tiny area observed on each leaf. The leaf that was alive had an average of 34. 5 stomata counted in the one specific area observed, the dying leaf had an average of 31. 75 stomata in the area observed and the dead leaf had an average of 29. 25 stomata in the area observed. These averages were results of four different trials in which the stomata were counted and observed in the specified area of each plant, every trial having a new person count the stomata. The stomata of the dead leaf were closed; the stomata of the leaf that was alive were open. The stomata of the leaf that was dying varied. In some places, the stomata were opened, in others, they were closed. The stomata that were open were bunched in separate areas of the observed section of the leaf, as were the stomata that were closed. Neither of the different stomata were mixed between each other in the dying leaf. All three leaves stomata were scattered around in the observed area and did not have a noticeable pattern to their placing. Conclusion: The data gathered shows that there is, in fact, a difference in the number and the appearance of stomata in three different life stages of an American elm leaf. However, the differences in the number of stomata are slight, calculating to a difference of only 5. 25 stomata between the largest and smallest average. The leaf that was alive had the greatest number of stomata, followed by the dying leaf and then the dead one, which had the least number of stomata. The numbers of stomata seem to descend as the leaf dies. However, this difference is insignificant considering that the stomata that were counted were a part of a very tiny area of the leaf (smaller than a fraction of a centimeter). The difference of stomata in each leaf came out to only 5. 5, which isn’t a large enough difference in the stomata of a small area of the leaf to be determined as significant. Further investigation would have to be performed in order to test this and get more accurate results. The difference that was significant was that of the appearance of the stomata. In the dead leaf, the stomata were closed; in the leaf that was alive, the stomata were open. The stomata of the dying leaf however, varied. Parts of the section viewed under the microscope consisted of opened stomata, others consisted of closed stomata. This might be because the leaf wasn’t completely dead, or parts of the leaf were still alive. When something is dying, the working parts of it do not stop functioning completely, they shut down at various times. This explains why some the stomata are open and some were closed. There was no significant difference in the number of stomata between the three leaves; however there was a dramatic difference in the appearance of the stomata in each leaf. If I were to re-do this lab in the future I would make sure to keep my fingers off of the viewing part of the tape. I think it may have altered our results in the end, like the number of stomata should have been without outliers. Another error that I have discovered was that we used different microscope power for the leaves. We should have used all the same power on each leaf for more accurate results to be sure we were viewing the same amount of area. The data also proves this because for the alive and the dying leaf we used the 100x zoom, but we used 400x zoom for the dead leaf. I’d infer that we did this because the dead leafs stomata were closed which could have made them harder to see. Stomata Lab Report free essay sample A long 350 million years ago, life on land was unsuitable for plants to live on with the little to no supply of oxygen and the harmful ultraviolet rays of the scorching sun. This lead to life beginning in the ocean where scientists have traced back to an ancestral bryophyte (also known as freshwater green algae) that has, over time, developed a key process of making food by using the energy from sunlight to convert carbon dioxide and water into by glucose and oxygen. The plant life history also involves the alternations of generations that allows a plant to undergo meiotic/mitotic phases between the sporophyte(diploid) and gametophyte(haploid) generation. In leaves, gas exchange occurs through little pores called the stomata which are present in the sporophyte generation. These small openings are light sensitive, so they are most commonly located on the bottom of leaves to prevent dehydration. The stomata usually open in the morning, and close in the night in C3 and C4 plants. We will write a custom essay sample on Stomata Lab Report or any similar topic specifically for you Do Not WasteYour Time HIRE WRITER Only 13.90 / page Although, many plants species are different when you compare their stomata orientation. One of the two major groups of flowering plants(angiosperms) are monocots, which include palms. These trees have adapted to harsh, dry environments. The deep roots of a palm tree allow it to reach far below the soil and obtain the necessary water and minerals stored at the bottom, and to help it grow. Its giant sized leaves allows for maximum sunlight exposure and its waxy surface cuticle of its leaves prevent the large loss of water from leaf due to transpiration. For the lab, I observed six leaves collected from six different plants growing sporadically around the school campus. Using clear tape, sticking it to the bottom of each leaf, applying pressure, and carefully peeling the tape off for an imprint of the leaf. I stuck the tape onto a glass slide and placed it under the microscope and observed the cells. Adjusting the magnification down 1000x, it is noticeable that the stomata were open since it was early morning to collect any moisture, sunlight, and oxygen in the air. Thus, narrowing down the plants to be either C3 or C4 plants since CAM plants only open their stomata at night. Plant species 1 had mesophyll cells surrounding the stoma were which were formed in parallel layers, similar to the visual on page 128, leading to conclude that it was C3. Plant species 2 had mesophyll cells that were again, arranged in parallel layers so another C3 plant. Plant species 3 is also a C3. Plant species number 4 is also the same. Oh, but plant species 5 is differently arranged, the mesophyll cells are more concentric around the bundle sheath cells, therefore, it being a C4 plant. Plant species 6 has the same mesophyll cell pattern as plant species 5 so it is also a C4 plant. When I got a sample of a palm tree leaf imprint, the mesophyll cells are well-formed and arranged in parallel layers just like Plant species 1, 2, and 3 so a palm tree is a C3 plant. In conclusion, most of the leaves were similar but when observed more closely their differences are more obvious. Some plants had more stomata than the other although they were found on the same part of the leaves. This is most likely due to the fact that each plant has a specific amount of nutrients they need to be well nourished in order to survive. When you compare normal leaves to an actual plant like the palm tree that adapted to Floridas hot environment, there was significantly more stomata all around the not-so broad leaves.