Exp<!limmul =thod and blologkal coonpt. d""'on, ...

~,ed uung duckW«tl

Winch~.,cr Coli"",
C , Robinso",
LvnOOVCT'O>l

Mm , biol~- ' ... e.h ..... will hay •• ncnumt:Kd d~ problem. ,h...«:ornl'"")" i"w"iption,
into 'he dlffi. of different , .. riabl.,. QD pi",,, gmWl h. R.~ul....- and aOOuraro """"i"C i,

SSR Mar 88
required, ,ime.comuming if la<1le numb.," are involved, .nd "ill 'ho plan" «>n!riw to
dd,ydratoo over a sunny w..-ekond , Th~ ocrupy 'pace ,ha, i. tithe, nee,led for othcr
purpose, 01- lu.rcl to keep under eon,colJe<I mndi'ion.s-in ma"y windows ligh, ;n",n,;,y
,....irt much more ,han e~ [>l."",d oycr a distance of even a few cen(im"'r~. Then ,b.
reguJor ,ec=rJ;.-.g of " ,..... u,..",,,,n .. f""luc ntly damages t h~, pJon ... nd ,I' e time and dfon
in,..,I,-cd """n unprofitable in ~iew of r/", m"rn. gained. No. . urprhingly (he de.';"" ' 0
!,.,nonn ""!"'Timen,. p,odudng . ufficien, da,a fron, whiclt 00 draw valid co"du" "ru i,
ofie n <ac,iroced for prao;tiu.1 con,ide,.. ,io"• . (But thm , ""'" biolon ,ex" ilI"",,a t" an
e~I""'iment w""". one ,or (wo plan" ha.~ been grown in minttal a~r,cie", w lut ioru-
. Iongside a line ",bl. ofthc cll"ee.. I" -od,,,,,,d n.
For >eVCr.l1 """,h I h. d ",.tehed (hi,.,,,,,n ·yeO'· old CCSE pup il •• tru"Hng with most of
(10"", pj,fall. a, '''''Y ~ursued ;ndi,idual in"",,-ig"' ion., Th.ir ,mag",.. "on . nd
pcr""'e","ce wa, imp"",i,'e, ...",n mo,'t ><> their ability 'Q draw un<O!npromi'ingll' firm
01lduoon. on the b... i, "rWI"), li,,]e t'Vidence, I fel' i, was time to"y and conv j n<~ them
tha( "" ...1 ",petitio"s of exp.,,.im,,,,,, at<: ~ vi,.1 eompon~nt of .clon(ific method,
p a" i wJ~dy in biolog}' " ...'" the ma ,el'ial with which we wor\:. has inl0<'1'Cnt variability,
We had ~ con.idering d,. role of produce" ~, the "art of food ~hain', Briefly we
di" .us>ed ,he "'<luil-omen' for ligh, and =-b<)t, dioxide jn primal")' produ<!i,,", A. "" had
nOt l"" ocalt wi(h pho'o.y,,(he,i. in d .... iI th.l'e "'.. oo",id",,,ble un"""ain,y abou, tho
rela(ive imponAl"-" of the ',,"0 require",e", •. Knowing ,hat in the near [u,u,,, [ w :;t$ goin~
' 0 he "'cJ:.ling population g<<:)\o·,h i , O<:C>'lTed (0 "'" ,ha, ".-c migh' uS<: duckweed. l.tmna
min<>T, (0 nudy bod, 'ltin!'.' a, once. The ,,,,.n , ..... of the pL.n' has made i, ~ fa1'<>Uri'e
.uhje", fur popubtion grow,h ."~[i... nd it .... mcd the ide.1 pI.,,, lor ,,"O,kingwi,h large
"'''''OCT>.
""'"0(>
~:ach 1"';'-of pupil. w .. gi" ~n 'ix "" ,,dard, iO ~ 2·5 ~m, gl .... sp«im"" tu!><-.... ~w<:re
h.[f·lillcd accw-..",Ij' Ir-o.n a !lod solu'ion of Baby Bio made up to 'he recommonded
concentration _Into e~ch 'u~ w","" place,] fiw, ,ingle.lea,'e<i and healthy du<kwccd plan"
"'ith ."y "d. 'bud.' carefully lcill)med "If with <oi"o,.,. n,C pup ils then nr"",h.d 0,,, into
tl,e a" 'p.ee. of 'h"e< of 'he tube. '0 ""rich then , wid, cHbon dioxide. Tho ,ube. ""'""
im"'edi"d} ",.led with poly(ne'\e "01'1'''''-', .hak~n ,'igoro usly ..nil lab-dIed. Tho the ...
r"ma ining moo _.-., .111() "upp.rod ond .... alen .imila,-ly to act., 'low carbon dioxide'
contr"h .
[,iIj"Ju in!emi' y "'.. varied ~ . ,,,,,,,.,.ini" one tube from c~c h group wi,h ''''0 lay<:rs of
plain dupllu;,ing V~P<T, one ,ub.: fr"'" each group with one layer of pa~e,· and l.,..,.inl: ,he
la>l two ",00. u ncm'erro. Thi$ " ... ,m,,,,, provided law, medium a" d high light imemi,i",
TC'pe<::ti\"ly. All,u",", W< ' e V!a«d 01\ ,heir , ide;;n a ,,---~)" ina ..,uth.facing window.
O,,<~. "",,1 the number. of (:0) live pia"',., (h) Ii\'e Ie:.'"e'. ~nd (d dt... d I..." . , ",ere
r«-orded in =h mbe. Any 'hud ' <ompri.ing more ,han" semicircle wu COllsitlcreJ a,"",,'
lear. N.... pl. .. ", h~d ,'-' oc eompl",c1y SCI"'''-'C<! from their p:"""'" Mon.- .ir ..... brea,hed
im" the air >1'= aho.e ,he ,,,rlx.,,, dioxid e enriched pb"" .nd all ,ui>es shaken
v;g-Ofou.i), 00 ~'lCoU'''&<" ><t,~r.. 'ioo ;"'0 ne ..· pl."",. With a duplk.. ,.,[ (<<onJ d",<:t ro fill
in ,hi, only (ook.bot« fif,,,,,,, ",in",,,, in ~ll. Cr.,. lOto!. _re ,,,,umula,ed for each wee~.
A, 'he end offivo ...... ~h 'he "',,,kly cla .. total. "..,..., " .. ",,,,,,-i...J and, cop)' g;"tl1 to til{'
pupil , who w= ~,~ro to pre,cm ,h~ d... ". they though, m"" aPl>tv1}ria(~,
The in"""'gatlOn ...... , ~At'Ti.cl Out wi,h ' ''"0 difTe",,,, eLm •• 0 pupib; the re."I"
obtamed w,""" ve'), ,imi"".

~",UL TS AN U DlOCU5S1Q N

From ,he Out"" pup il, h~d bun encou"'ged to record their p ... dic(ion. o[whor "-o,,ld
happ<n in ,,~d, tube. Ke.dy,1I lOCI" ofth~ opinion ,hat more light a,,,1 r~r\><>n dio~ide
""-,,,Id produce more or [,.,ller gr<.>Wth, bu, apan from ,hi. there wa,
little ,cal agr<ement.
A. da<.>. wa. colle«<d i, "",n e",,',~"d that there were diffcrcn"", in 'he .,.. J iog> of
dil1e ..~,,, pai", of pupil •. III • ft'W t~. pia"" in (albo" di""id. enriched ,,,lx. were
growing '''1)' poorly "'>lllp"' od wi(h o'"e .... From pupil. who .. """""a,ion.' "",,,,, ,hu,
ro nf",,"dcd came tl:t" . n,oo f~mUiar COmmem: 'The""pcrimont i.n ', working-'. M i< the
"'''y of 'hing<, ,h~ d""'K'h~n",d were fM no;,ic..- ,han th~ others and a. dr i. '!age i, "'.. llot
 '0;
hord to im""tIt tho.. d .. "".....-;........ 10'''1 to b<-.t lou, ill llIe CJn of"'" pupil,........
fail"..,. 10 earn<. ,1Itn. as ~ conoi<knblo: ... "'...... 10 them .......... <Ius ..... 1. <01'1 ...... ed
_ . if nor all, ot ,....,. .,..,......,i<'>....
and ~ anyw>Ir pnr...,,1y ~plico.bIc. ~lUjnlJ it
"'<1 been • tollvincint M.,,,,,,.,,·..lon of the foil,. vf a llad ,ing tOO mud! . icni!i<a,,,,, '"
...,...1 .. obu'''c<I f",n. ';n,lc. ..n<'O'peal~ ""pori",,,,,,. ""'iel> a.n 10 " " ' y be
u,"·~"" ...!l.e.
O" c ~ of du. d.... i. "".l',oduuJ ....... Puri' •• nalyotd ;1 in many dirr,,",n, way. bu,.
pJ()I of pb", num l><,. a,' ''1>1 time prO>'ed mo .. ;'It,,,,,,';ng. Tho i raph ind icalO. d •• rly
d,," incua.1nlr 'he <arbon dioxid~ """.. m of lUbf:o ,rcad y .,,!\ane.. produ<t;. i,y • •

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 r;c-: 'XNCX NO'IT.~ SSR Ma,88
no. ,~ k~ ,hem Jong ,n <><><ia; ,h., "'hile m>x;m"", I"'pula,;"" "'~. una()<o<'tl by li~h,
i," ~nsi')" ,he ,<1/, "'
,,:hi( h 'he maximum ~. , ..d><tl .ppeued ", be ,Iireed}" rel.[".! : d,e
p<lp"I~,; n n pcUed I" ... in hi,l, li&h' in'~n'i'l an,] I". in 10)"" Th i, brough[ hom e .h c
''',po,.. ", <lilf<rCRC< I,..' ..'«,n ,hc ml .... Q en~' .nd row .n",cr;"!> i" prim'I)'
prod""',,,n: J.,y ~ ....!ogy-ir 'he number ,,(b rick> to, <on>.n"" in~ • h""", i, 6X«1, a I.~
...'" or ",,,,ken rAm"" huild ~ la~r hO)use b u,.h<v ran comple,,, i. """n,,,'.
n,. ci.,. and the ,'h.rancrj"k iP"wth ' ''''''", , 1,,,"ld pro"ide invalu.bl. m .. e,ial '"
illt,,, ... ," , ho ''' ''in", ph.",! of populatio n ' .." .... 'h and "cia, ;,'0 rd' ", of gmcIa'ion ami
mor,.lily. a. well • • indi""ing .he , ,,,,,i clio n. ploeM 0" "" '",)'in" capadf)' b~ an
.nviron",.,," "'i,h lini •••"", u" ,.:• .
n", op •• ,..,.. .. vin' dud~] and 'p<"<im<n ,ube admirab!\' .... "t<! my PUlP"-;C in
<mph.. , i, ing the need ( ..... 'o:p<1i,ion of OIpo:rimcn.. in good practic <l .",,"i8D. n... the)' .1,.,
prOduct<! .uch "",cdkn, d ... "'''' brg~lf "''''~fK>'tcd ~u"u" bu, 0"" ,ha, Ita •••",t<!
,h.", ~ "if!t~ iD m,' ,caching «o.)".m.