PRE-LAB QUESTIONS

1. When did vascular plants evolve? How was this timeline uncovered?

They evolved 425 million years ago and was discovered by examining fossil records and
by carbon-14 dating.

2. How does a vascular system help a plant to grow bigger?

The vascular system transports nutrients throughout the entire plant which makes sure it
has sufficient nutrients and can grow efficiently.

3. In 2 - 3 sentences, discuss how gas exchange affects transpiration.

Gas exchange is carried out with the use of stomata. Stomata release water vapor and
let CO2 in. Transpiration only happens when the stomata are open for gas exchange.

4. Describe one way in which plants can adapt to changes in water supply.

In areas with large amounts of water, plants can use large broad leaves to maximize
surface area for more efficient photosynthesis but if a plant were to do this in a dry area,
the added surface area would cause more water to be evaporated. Plants in areas with
limited water opt instead for small leaves for less surface area with fewer stomata so
they lose less water.

5. Why is water referred to as the “universal solvent?”

Water can dissolve the largest range of different substances compared to any other
material. This is because water molecules have a positively charged hydrogen and
negatively charged oxygen atoms.

6. Why is a water droplet shaped like a sphere?

Surface tension forces water and other liquids to form a spherical shape because its
shape reduces the tension of the walls of the outer layer of water.

© eScience Labs, 2016

7. In essay form, discuss three adaptations plants have made to thrive in different
environments.

Plants have evolved to survive in almost every environment on Earth. As long as

there is a source of water, sunlight, and soil containing nutrients, plants will find a way to
grow. The only places where plant life is absent is in inhospitable locations such as
inland Antarctica or at the bottom of the ocean where there is no sunlight. Even in the
harshest of deserts, plants will still be found.
One of the main adaptations which allows plants to survive in these dry
environments is having small, thin leaves that reduce surface area. Leaves with reduced
surface area increase water retainment because less water is lost due to evaporation.
Desert plants also store as much water as they can for later use when it does rain.
Plants in deserts also grow slower to avoid using up their limited water reserves too
quickly and have waxy coatings to further reduce water loss.
Sometimes, an environment can have too much rainfall. In tropical rainforests,
plants have no problems receiving water so they grow broad, wide leaves to maximize
surface area and increase the rate of photosynthesis. The two biggest issue for plants in
tropical rainforests is not receiving enough sunlight and the heavy rainfall leaching
nutrients from the soil. Plants in rainforests are densely packed together which causes
only the tallest plants to have ample access to sunlight, leaving the plants on the bottom
to fend for themselves. Some plants have adapted to this issue by climbing the taller
plants in order to get to the sunlight. The heavy rain in the rainforest washes away the
soil so frequently that nutrients can’t build up. Plants have adapted to maximize on
nutrient absorption at every opportunity they receive, such as when an animal or plant
dies and temporarily makes the soil more nutrient rich. These plants utilize as much of
these nutrients while they can by going through periods of increased growth.
Plants don’t just survive on land, but also in the ocean, where plant life
originated. Plants in the ocean still need to use sunlight for photosynthesis, so this
means that it is impossible for plants to survive in the depths of the ocean where sunlight
can’t reach. One adaptation that some plant-like algae have made to be able to live
deeper in the ocean is utilizing different wavelengths of sunlight that penetrate deeper
into the water. However, even though they are considered plant-like, they are not plants.
Because there isn’t carbon dioxide all around them like there is on land, plants have
evolved to absorb their carbon dioxide, nutrients, and water from the environment
around them. Because plants can obviously just absorb the water they are submerged
in, they don’t need such extensive root systems in order to guarantee that they get
enough water and nutrients. Ocean plants have also not evolved structures which give
them rigidity like land plants have. In water, plants can float and use gas-filled bladders
on their leaves to keep them up-right.

© eScience Labs, 2016

© eScience Labs, 2016
EXPERIMENT 1: FUNCTIONALITY OF THE WATER COLUMN

Experimental Results

Draw what you saw in the digital slides in the boxes provided below. Label the xylem and

phloem.
Phloem

Xylem

Xylem
Phloem

Pith

Show how far the dye traveled in the submerged and air-dried celery stalks by drawing on the

images below.

© eScience Labs, 2016

Post-Lab Questions

1. How far did the dye travel in the celery which was submerged in water for 15 minutes?
How far did it travel in the piece which was air-dried for 15 minutes?

The celery that was submerged in the water had the dyed water move through the plant
to its tips through transpiration while no water moved through the air-dried piece of
celery because oxygen was present in the stem.

8. In which celery stalk was the water column broken?

The water column was broken in the dry celery.

© eScience Labs, 2016

EXPERIMENT 2: WATER MOVEMENT IN FLOWERS

Post-Lab Questions

1. Record your hypothesis from Step 3 here. Be sure to address how the dye will affect the
flower over time, and why. 

If the experiment is performed properly, the dyed water will slowly make its way through
the flower and will become visible. After 48 hours the flower should be completely dyed.

9. Show where the dye traveled in the flower after 24 and 48 hours and explain how
it got there in the space provided.

The water moved from the base of the stem up into the flower. The process of
transpiration removes water from the petals and creates a lower water pressure
so even more water is pulled into the flower, which is why the petals become
darker and darker.

10. What factors can influence the rate of transpiration in flowers?

Things like light intensity, air temperature, and soil quality effect transpiration but
humidity has the largest impact.

© eScience Labs, 2016