Brassica Rapa is a flowering plant commonly used in plant growth and genetic experiments. Through artificial selection, scientists have selected traits that allow this plant to complete its life cycle in 35-40 days, allowing us to study it's plant growth in that duration.
During Grade 11 Biology class, we filled film canisters 2/3's of the way with soil and then added water until the soil was damp and dripping through the wick at the bottom. Next, three fertilizer seeds were added on the dampened soil. Additional soil was placed overtop of the fertilizer seeds with more water added to dampen the soil. The Brassica Rapa seeds were finally added to the film cansiter, with additional soil sprinkled over top of them.
This is the life cycle of the Brassica Rapa.
Leaves
Green leaves are the major location of photosynthesis. They contain chlorophyll, which is needed to capture light energy. They must also be able to obtain carbon dioxide from the air and water to use in the formation of sugars and starches.
Leaves also have a variety of internal structures, which allow plants to survive in their habitats. The blade is the flattened body of the leaf. Nodes are points where the leaves are positioned along. An internode is the distance between two nodes. Petioles are leaf stalks that allows each leaf to be connected to the stem. Net Venation is where vascular tissue branches and re-branches throughout the whole leaf.
Parallel Venation is where vascular tissue runs from the petiole to the leaf tip without joining one another. A simple keaf is a single, undivided blade.
A compound Leaf is a blade divided into two or more leaflets.
Leaves also have a variety of internal structures, which allow plants to survive in their habitats. The blade is the flattened body of the leaf. Nodes are points where the leaves are positioned along. An internode is the distance between two nodes. Petioles are leaf stalks that allows each leaf to be connected to the stem. Net Venation is where vascular tissue branches and re-branches throughout the whole leaf.
Parallel Venation is where vascular tissue runs from the petiole to the leaf tip without joining one another. A simple keaf is a single, undivided blade.
A compound Leaf is a blade divided into two or more leaflets.
Root Systems and Meristems
The root system is rather simple however, it still generally more complex than one may think. There are root tips with root caps, secondary and tertiary roots, primary roots and young secondary roots.
Plant cells divide by mitosis in specific areas called meristems. The meristems at the root tips and shoot tips (terminal buds) are called apical meristems.
Root and shoot systems begin to form in the tiny embryo within the seed. As the seed germinates, cells at the root and shoot tips divide by mitosis and lengthen. Meristems at areas other than the root and shoot tips form cylinders of tissue within roots and stems. Cell division in these cylinders. called the lateral meristems, causes an increase in the diameters of roots and stems.