The Growth of Bean Seedlings Experiment

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The Growth of Bean Seedlings Experiment

Growth of a Beans Experiment

Aim: To compare the growth of bean seedlings in a different soil

solution.

Background Knowledge:

Plants make there own food by photosynthesis. They need light and CO2

from the atmosphere and the water absorbed from the soil.

Plants also need very small quantities of minerals for healthy growth.

Mineral ions are absorbed through the roots from the dissolved

chemicals compounds in the soil. When garden centres sell bottles of

“Plant Food” they are selling solutions of some of the important

minerals; these can be added to the soil in which the plants are

growing. When plants are unable to absorb enough an important mineral

they show signs of deficiency.

If to little nitrate, phosphate, potassium, iron, magnesium, sulphate

or calcium is absorbed by the plant, its appearance and growth will be

affected.

For instance, potassium helps photosynthesis and magnesium is needed

for the plant to manufacture chlorophyll. If magnesium is in short

supply, the leaves, particularly the old ones become moulted or pale.

Iron is part of the chlorophyll molecule and shortage of the mineral

will make leaves pale.

A few substances, known as trance elements may even be toxic to the

plant. Copper is one of the trace elements.

Nitrate, phosphorus and potassium are the substances which are most

frequently in short supply. In soils nitrogen is the most important

because it combines with the sugar produced during photosynthesis to

form amino acids. These amino acids join together to form large

protein molecules. Plants which lack nitrogen grow very poorly.

Sugar + Nitrate à amino acids à Proteins

(From photosynthesis) (From Soil)

General Planning:

* I will take three small pots and fill them full of soil.

* I shall then put one

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