Lab #: 2

Date: February 7, 2022

Topic: Rate of photosynthesis

Problem Statement:

Soliel was conducting an experiment on the rate of photosynthesis in several different types
of aquatic plants in a controlled laboratory. During her investigation the light source for half
of her plant malfunctioned and was out of service for a few hours. She noticed that the
recorded rate of photosynthesis showed major differences between the plants that were
without light source compared to does that had constant light source. Plan and design an
experiment to investigate the effect of light intensity on the rate of photosynthesis in aquatic
plants.

Hypothesis: An increase in light intensity will produce an increase rate of photosynthesis.

Aim: To determine if increasing light intensity on an aquatic plant affects it’s rate of
photosynthesis.

Apparatus: Lamp, pondweed (Elodea), beaker, water, thermometer, stopwatch, ruler

Diagram of Apparatus:

Procedure:

1. Set up apparatus as shown in diagram above.

2. Place the lamp at the 10cm mark on the meter ruler.
3. Allow plant to adjust to new light intensity, use a thermometer to keep water
temperature at a constant 25°.
4. Start stopwatch and record amount of bubbles produced in 5 minutes.
5. Repeat steps 2-4 another 2 times while moving lamp 10cm away from starting point.
 6. Record observations in table below.

Expected Results:

TABLE SHOWING NUMBER OF BUBBLES PRODUCED AS LAMP IS USED FROM

FURTHER AWAY FROM BEAKER.

Distance (cm) Number of Bubbles produced

More bubbles will be produced than at
10cm 20cm and 30cm.

Will have more bubbles than 30cm and less

20cm than 10cm.

Will have less bubbles than at 10cm and

30cm 20cm.

Variables:

Manipulated: Intensity of light given off to plant.

Controlled: Time period.

Responding: Amount of bubbles produced.

Interpretation of Expected Results:

Photosynthesis in aquatic plants doesn’t differ from the plants on land as they both use
CO2 and sunlight to make O2 and glucose. The experiment above is used to investigate if
increasing light intensity will increase its rate of photosynthesis. Without enough light
photosynthesis will not occur, even if there is abundance in CO2, water or suitable
temperature. So increasing the light intensity increases rate of photosynthesis until
another factor becomes limiting.

Precaution: Ensure that experiment is done in a controlled environment.

Lab #: 1

Date: January 24, 2022

Topic: Photosynthesis

Aim: To construct a diagram of the dicotyledonous leaf (transverse section) and a

palisade cell from prepared slides.
Lab #3
Date: February 28, 2022
Topic: Aerobic Respiration
Aim: To investigate the rate of oxygen uptake during respiration of a bee (Apis
Mellifera).
Material: Carolina Volumeter/Respirometer assembly, rubber stoppers, syringes, test
tubes, screen inserts, 15% potassium hydroxide (KOH) solution, cotton balls,
red food colouring, water, electronic balance, thermometer, stopwatch, bee).
(Apis Mellifera).
Diagram:

Method: 1. A container used to collect the specimen, from the school yard.
2. The mass of specimen was using electric balance.
3. A cotton ball was placed into each test tube and forced all the way to the
bottom.
4. 4ml of 15%KOH was added to each cotton ball.
5. A screen insert was carefully placed in each test tube and rested on top of the
cotton ball.
6. A syringe was used to fill the U-tube from respirometer with the red food
coloring ensuring no air bubbles were formed.
7. The specimen was placed in one of the test tube and covered with aa rubber
band. A rubber stopper was placed over the controlled test tube and both test
tubes were attached to the U-tube.
8. Both test tubes were sealed and the colored liquid was allowed time to settle.
9. The initial level of the colored liquid and the temperature at 0 minutes were
recorded. The temperature and liquid level was recorded at 1 minute intervals
 for 15 minutes.
10. A graph of amount of oxygen consumed versus time was plotted to obtain the
rate of oxygen consumed per minute by the specimen.
11. The rate of respiration per gram of organism was observed.

Observation & Results:

TABLE SHOWING THE DIFFERENCE IN O2 CONSUMTION OF THE SPECIMEN
OVER A 15 MINUTES TIME PERIOD.

Temperature (oC) Time (Mins.) Initial Volume Volume at time Difference (mL
(mL) (mL) of O2 consumed)
31 0 1.5 1.5 0

31 1 1.5 1.7 0.2

31 2 1.7 1.7 0

31 3 1.7 2.0 0.3

31 4 2.0 2.3 0.3

31 5 2.3 2.7 0.4

31 6 2.7 2.7 0

31 7 2.7 3.0 0.3

31 8 3.0 3.2 0.2

31 9 3.2 3.2 0

31 10 3.2 3.1 -0.1

31 11 3.1 3.0 -0.1

31 12 3.0 3.0 0

31 13 3.0 3.0 0

31 14 3.0 3.1 0.1

31 15 3.1 3.2 0.1

Calculations:
1. Rate of oxygen consumption per minute

y 2− y 1 −0.015−0.25 −0.265
m= = = =−0.044
x 2−x 1 10−4 6

2. Rate of respiration per gram of organism

= -0.044÷0.11g
= -0.4g

Discussion: Aerobic respiration is the process by which oxygen and sugar in the form of
carbohydrates is used up to produce carbon dioxide, water and energy. The process takes
place in the mitochondria. The overall reaction is C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + ATP.
The cycles involve in this are Glycolysis, Kreb’s Cycle and Electron transport chain.

A respirometer is an equipment used to measure the rate of respiration by measuring the

volume of oxygen taken in over a set period of time. Due to the oxygen volume being taken
in by the specimen a reduction of the volume in the tube increases pressure and causes the
color liquid to move. Using 15%KOH will remove carbon dioxide it is being generated
during respiration.

The rate of respiration and the rate of respiration per gram of organism as show in the
calculations above are -0.044 and -0.4g respectively.

A source of error to the lab was that upon addition of the colored liquid to the U-tube a lot of
air bubbles were formed and as result the tube had to be emptied and refilled.

Ethical issues a risen from using animal specimen in experiment is that it is against animal
rights and that suffer tremendous pain and deaths, on the other hand it is help full to humans
cosmetics and medicine industry etc.

Conclusion: The uptake of oxygen of a bee (Apis Mellifera) during respiration was
investigated and shown to be -0.044.
Lab #: 4
Date: March 7, 2022
Topic: Ecological Pyramids and Energy Flow
Aim: To construct a pyramid of energy using quantitative data from an aquatic
ecosystem.
Materials: Quantitative data of net productivities in organisms, graph leaf, pencil, ruler,
rubber.

Method: 1. A pyramid of energy was constructed using the data provided in the table above.
2. The information was used to calculate the energy transfer efficiency at each
trophic level.
3. The calculated energy transfer efficiency was compared to that obtained in
theory of a food chain.

Observation:

TABLE SHOWING NET PRODUCTIVITIES (RATES OF ENERGY STORAGE AS

BIOMASS) OF ORGANISMS FOUND IN AN AQUATIC ECOSYSTEM ALONG THE
FLORIDA KEYS
Trophic Levels Organisms Net productivities
kcal/m2/yr
1 Algae (caulerpa 7816
sertularioides)
2 Sea Snail (semicassis 1102
granulate)
3 Atlantic Cod (gadus morhua) 110
4 Shark (rhizoprionodon 6
terraenovae)
Discussion: Biological pyramids shows the basic structure of feed relationship of organism in
a community and how the energy is pass from one trophic level to the next within the food
chain. The three types of biological pyramid include: pyramid of number, pyramid of
biomass and pyramid of number. In an ecosystem energy can be cycled as primary producers
(plants) photosynthesize solar energy to chemical energy which is consumed be primary
consumers (herbivores) where only 10% the energy obtained is passed on. These primary
consumers are then eaten by secondary consumers (carnivores) where only 10% is pass to
these consumers. Both primary and secondary consumers will be eaten by a tertiary
consumers (carnivores) were the same 10% of energy is pass on to the organism doing the
eating. When any of the organisms mentioned dies decomposers and/or detritus will break
down their bodies and the energy is recycled into the soil, where the cycle is repeated.

The efficiency transferred from each trophic level was calculated being that only 14.09% of
energy was transferred from trophic level 1 to 2. This is 4.09% more than that of the expected
theory. This is as a result of the organism that was eaten didn’t get enough time to use up the
energy gained. The efficiency was transferred from trophic level 2 to 3 is 10%. This is same
amount of energy that is passed on as of the expected theory. This happened as a result of the
organism from trophic level 2 used up 90% of his energy in his daily activities. On the other
hand energy efficiency transferred from trophic level 3to 4 is 5.5%. Compared to the
expected theory it had 4.5% less energy being transferred to the organism doing the eating.
This occurs as a result as the organism at trophic level 3 is only feeding at one trophic level.

Energy is loss by organisms in the ecosystem as they carry out their daily activities e.g.,
growth, reproduction, movement, hunting, etc.

Limitation of pyramids of energy is that calculating the rate of biomass and measuring the
growth and reproduction of organism is tiring and time consuming. Opposing this the
pyramid of biomass is more accurate as it takes in account the size of the organisms, while
pyramid of number takes in consideration all the animals at each trophic level.

Conclusion: A pyramid of energy was constructed using quantitative data from an aquatic
ecosystem.
Lab #: 8
Date: May 2, 2022
Topic: Exercise and Health
Aim: To determine the change in pulse rate of average individuals before and after exercise.

Material and Apparatus: Volunteers, stopwatch, exercise area, graph paper, pencil, ruler,
notepad.
Method: 1. Three of our classmates had volunteered to be tested for this practical exercise.
2. Volunteers were allowed to sit and relax for 2 minutes before the practical started.
3. The pulse rate of each of the students were taken for 15 second and the value was
multiplied by 4 to determine the pulse rate per minute. Which is the beats per
minutes (bpm).
4. Step (3) three was repeated (5) five times for each student.
5. Each students had underwent (3) minutes of session of cardio exercise.
6. Steps 3 and 4 were repeated for each student.
7. A graph of pulse rate (bpm) versus time (min) before and after exercise was plotted
for each students using the information given.
Observation:
TABLE SHOWING PULSE RATE OF THE THREE VOLUNTEERS BEFORE AND
AFTER EXECIRSE.

Tiana Ashley Intinie

Time Pulse Rate Pulse Rate Pulse Rate Pulse Rate Pulse Rate Pulse Rate
(mins) Before After Before After Before After
3mins 3mins 3mins 3mins 3mins 3mins
Exercise Exercise Exercise Exercise Exercise Exercise
(bmp) (bmp) (bmp) (bmp) (bmp) (bmp)
1 78 175 60 180 64 162

2 58 138 62 144 60 124

3 54 126 56 120 62 100

4 46 104 72 114 74 68

5 42 106 80 110 44 60

6 28 106 60 102 54 78
Discussion: Blood pressure is the pressure of the circulating blood against the walls of the
blood vessels. This results from the heart pumping blood through the circulatory system.
Pulse rate is a measurement of the heart rate or the number of times beats per minute.
The cardiac cycle is the performance of the heart from the start of one heart beat to the next.
The cardiac cycle govern circulation of blood and transports oxygen and carbon dioxide, so
in breathing before and after exercise the heart beats faster to send oxygenated blood is send
around the body to provide muscles with oxygen and energy to move. This happens as a
results of oxygen dissociation process in the tissue where a decrease in affinity of the
haemoglobin for oxygen and hence a tendency to give up oxygen to the tissues.
Intinie before exercise had pulse rate increasing and decreasing after 6 minutes, Tiana had a
steady decrease in her pulse rate after six minutes, on the other hand after 6 minutes Ashley
had steady increases and decrease in her pulse rate. Ashley and Intinie’s heart rate fluctuated
due to the heart trying to get itself ready for the activity ahead. Tiana’s heart rate had steady
decrease as the heart isn’t prepared for the activity ahead.
After the exercise period Intinie had a rapid decrease in his heart rate after 6 minutes. After
the 6 minutes of exercise Ashley had a rapid decrease in her heart rate. On the other hand
Tiana had a rapid decrease then a slow rise in her heart rate until it became constant. These
events occurred as a result of the heart slowly going back to normal after.
After the exercise period all three students had a rapid decrease in their heart rate, while only
two had a slight increase after, then one became constant after.

Conclusion: The average change in pulse rate for individual before and after exercise was
determined.
Lab#: 7
Date: April 25, 2022
Topic: The Kidney
Aim: To make diagrams of sections of the kidney from prepared slides.
Lab#: 6
Date: March 21, 2022
Topic: The Circulatory System of Mammals
Aim: To draw a cross section of the heart and prepared slides of arteries and veins.
Lab#: 5

Date: March 11, 2022

Topic: Ecological System

Problem Statement: The giant swallow tail butterfly is endemic to Jamaica. It is observed that
where the wasp population is high the swallowtail butterfly population is

low. Plan and design an experiment to test this observation.

Hypothesis: Where there is an increase the wasp population there will be decrease in the
butterfly population.

Aim: To investigate if increasing wasp population decreases butterfly population.

Apparatus: Butterfly net, tag, sample area A&B, butterfly population, wasp population

Method: 1. With the use of a butterfly net catch up to 25 butterflies and use the tag to
mark them.
2. Release the tagged butterflies into sample area A were wasp population plentiful.
3. After 3 days Recapture the sample and record observation in the table below
provided below.
4. Repeat steps 1-3 by using sample area B with fewer wasp.
5. Repeat experiment another two times to obtain accurate results.

Expected Results:
TABLE SHOWING COMPARISON BETWEEN SAMPLE AREA A&B AFTER THREE
DAYS.

Sample Area A after 3 days Sample Area B after 3 days

Variables: Controlled- Number of butterflies used.

Manipulated- Wasp population/Sample area
Responding- butterfly population after three days

Interpretation of expected results: Symbiosis is any type of long-term biological interaction

between two different organisms, be it mutualism, commensalism, or parasitic. The
experiment above shows that the Wasp and swallowtail butterfly share a parasitic
relationship, whereas the butterfly is host and the wasp is parasite. The Adult wasp lay their
eggs inside the butterfly and once the egg hatch the wasp larvae eat its way out. This will lead
to a decrease in the butterfly population as the wasp population increase.
Precaution: Ensure method used to mark specimen doesn’t affect its survival rates.