Beta Vulgaris Lab Report

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Temperature Affects Membrane Integrity of Beta vulgaris Cells
Purpose:
The objective of this experiment was to examine the impact of various temperature stresses on discs of living beets (Beta vulgaris). A spectrophotometer was used to measure the A525 of each treated sample. These values were then compared to a standard curve to determine the concentration of each betacyanin solution.
Membranes are integral to survival. They separate the cell’s internal and external environments and define internal compartments of eukaryotic cells[Cite]. The findings of this experiment suggest that temperature based treatments, such as the liquid nitrogen used to treat warts, must be approached with caution. They may be effective in killing diseased cells …show more content…

Countries whose climate may be too harsh to grow sugar cane may find that they can use beets for sugar production instead [CITE]. This would decrease their reliance upon sugar imports, reducing the emissions released into the atmosphere.
Procedure:
Beet discs 5mm in length were placed into six different environments (-5℃, 4℃, 22℃, 40℃, 50℃, and 70℃) before being vortexed at set intervals (t=0, t=5 minutes, t=10minutes). After the third vortex, a 5mL sample of the aliquot analyzed with a spectrophotometer. The A525 reading was then used in conjunction with the slope of the standard curve of betacyanin to determine the concentration of betacyanin in the sample. [Lab manual 2016]
The experiment utilized a negative control group of beet cells at room temperature (approximately 22℃) because 22℃ represents the normal growing temperature of beets …show more content…

Beets grown within that temperature range will have more stable membranes, allowing them to flourish. Because of this broad range, beets may be able to grow in many places around the world with little impact on production.
Future research should test a wider ranger of temperatures. In addition to pinpointing an ideal growing temperature, exploring the effect of higher and lower temperatures could test the tentative conclusions from this experiment that membranes are less affected by warmer environments than by cold environments and potentially identify a temperature threshold at which membranes begin to drastically lose their integrity. Repetitions of this experiment should include more trials to increase accuracy and more consistent treatments. Instead of leaving the beet discs in a -5℃ environment for months and the other discs in their environments for two minutes, the beet discs should all be placed in the different temperatures until all of their internal temperatures match that of their

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