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Biology

Mitosis Stop motion

  1. Mitosis is a process where a single cell divides into two identical daughter cells (cell division). The major purpose of mitosis is for growth and to replace worn out cells. If an organism is injured it goes through mitosis to regrow the area that was lost.​
  2. The different stages of mitosis are Interphase, Prophase, Metaphase, Anaphase, and Telophase.
  3. In the cell cycle, the stages will only take about 24 hours it will not take more than 1 and 1 ½ days. During the root process, we learned many different things we learned that its the fastest growing part of the plant and that's why its used for studying cell division.
  4. This research relates because just like onion roots the planarians have regenerative abilities and can regrow different parts of their bodies if they were hurt or taken off.
  5. If we can understand the process of mitosis we can see how cells regenerate and change this is how we are becoming better learners by studying the process of stem cells it helps further our knowledge and learning about regeneration and helps us to further our studies not just on test subjects but other beings.


Aquaponics 

For this project we were given the task of using plants to test an experiment. Our group decided to make an aquaponics system to grow bean sprouts in a gold fish tank. We started the process of doing this by first researching what we wanted to do, wee studied fish and the plants best for this environment. After this we made a project proposal oversewing the whole experiment and what it withheld. After this it was finally time to begin making our project. We got many goldfish and prototyped ways best for holding the plants. We finished the building process within two weeks. When this was done we allowed the plants to grow in the tanks for a little over a month.
What I would do differently for next time is to be more organized. I feel that throughout the project I was messy which made it easier to get the final product I was hoping for. I would also make an easier way to tend to the fish and the plants. The tank got dirty very quickly and our group had no idea how to clean it without making a large mess or without letting all of our plants sink into the water. 

​
Question: Why Is Sample Size Important?
Sample size is important for a lot of reasons, one of the main reasons why sample size is important is because it’s one of the major effects on a study/experiment. Sample size shows how the different factors and result of an experiment can change based on the size, for example: when the experiment is run in a smaller environment you can see how it is affected and how the results are changed, If the experiment was done on a larger scale the small changes would be less easily seen due to the size. A study that has a sample size which is too small may produce inconclusive results that don’t relate to the experiment.

You need sample size to keep the experiment small and easy to understand.
If the experiment is smaller, the sample size would be easier to manage. Knowing how to properly use and benefit from sample size is a very important aspect when you are experimenting and looking for accurate results.
For example, if we wanted to test how many people at Animas high school have dogs we would want to narrow down the sample size in order to see a more accurate end result .

Project Proposal:

From Soil to Water:
Fish Aquaponics
AbstractIn this project, we are conducting an investigation on the difference between goldfish and betta and how they affect plant growth in aquaponics. Plants need water and nutrients to thrive and grow. By making an aquaponics system both of these aspects will make a healthy plant, due to the nutrition from the fish and the water they live in. Throughout this project, we will evaluate how different types of fish affect the crucial stages of plant development.  

Background
Sunlight, water, oxygen, and carbon dioxide are the main things plants need to survive. They get many of their essential nutrients from the soil, although the nutrients they need is provided by invertebrates in a natural environment can be difficult to come by. Traditional farming systems are very wasteful and inefficient due to the loss of space and water. Humans have negatively affected the world's water supply by utilizing clean drinking water for their own personal needs. An alternative is aquaponics. Aquaponics decreases the need to water our crops by a significant amount. In addition, the need for soil will be decreased due to the plants growing without soil in water. By planting seeds in water the tank will provide all the water the plants need, and the fish will provide all of the nutrients.
Significance
It is beneficial for human health to have gardens/indoor gardens for many reasons. Growing plants indoors benefits the brain by increasing the oxygen supply. Lastly, it benefits mental health, as it gives one something to think about and care for, and could spark interests for other things. It is a very calming activity to watch and take care of fish.  That's why we are going to be studying how indoor gardens benefit us. Question: Will lemongrass grow better in a system with betta fish or with goldfish?
Null Hypothesis: There is no difference between how the plants are grown with goldfish or betta fish.
Alternative Hypothesis 1: The plants are growing in the goldfish tank will grow better than the tank with the betta
Alternative Hypothesis 2: The plants in the betta tank will grow better than the plants in the goldfish tank
Methods
Plants: We chose to do lemongrass due to the fact that it grows relatively fast, takes up little space, and is durable enough to handle the water only environment.
Control group: Will be grown in two tanks, one with 5 fancy goldfish in a five gallon, and one with 1 betta in a one-gallon tank.
Experimental group:Lemongrass will be grown in a tank with betta and goldfish.
Planting conditions:Sample Size: Three or Four plants maximum
Planters: We will place small plastic planters in the tank hanging off the side. Inside will be small clay balls ideal for growing plants in an aquaponics system.
Placement: For this, we will place both tanks on a table next to the window in Kat's room.
Amount of water: One tank will include 5 gallons of water another will only require 1 gallon.
Lighting times: Natural light
Temperature: For this, we will want an ideal temperature of 67-70 degrees. The tank will be in the sun to help keep the temperature and this will continuously be monitored and changed if needed. The water can't be too hot or cold due to the fish and fragile sprouting plants living off the conditions given.
Soil:For soil, we will use clay balls. They will sit in plastic cups with holes to allow the water to come through. Clay balls are needed because they allow the plants to sit in the water without the soil seeping through to the fish.
Data Collection:Sprouting: We will be measuring with cm every week
Measure leaf surface area: Measuring with cm every week. The sprouts will we measure and recorded every week.
Height
Recording Table
Plant ID
Week 2 Plant Growth in (CM)
Week 3 plant Growth in (CM)
Week 4 Plant Growth (CM)
Week 5 Plant Growth in (CM)
Week 6 Plant growth in (CM)
Betta 0
We ended up not getting a Betta because of financing
The plants have started to sprout (5 CM) and we don't have any betta fish
They have gotten much bigger (10 CM) roots are growing through holes in the bottom. We do not have any Bettas.
We ended up adding netting because the plants got too big,(30 CM) but some did fall through and they got a little deformed. Hopefully, that won't affect the experiment. We still don't have any Betta fish.
Goldfish 10
We did not get our experiment up and running till week 3 due to timing and supplies
The fish are doing well and have been feeding them on a regular basis
The fish are doing fine but the tank is getting a little bit dirty
We recently cleaned the fish tank and found out a little fish got stuck to it. We added more fish to the out tank and refilled the tank
Fish Check-in
Betta
Goldfish
Week 1
We ended up not adding the Betta to our experiment due to finances
We didn't get out project up and running until week 3 due to time and supplies
Week 2

We didn't get out project up and running until week 3 due to time and supplies
Week 3

The fish are doing well and we have been feeding them on a regular basis
Week 4

The fish are doing fine but we need to clean the tank next week
Week 5

We recently cleaned the fish tank and found out a little fish got stuck to it. We added more fish to the out tank and refilled the tank.
Week 6

Analysis Table
Betta Plants
Goldfish Plants
Total
Height of plant  less than 1.5 inches
Height of plant greater than 1.5 inches
Timeline
Week
Timeline
1
We didn't get out project up and running until week 3 due to time and supplies
2-3
We didn't get out project up and running until week 3 due to time and supplies. We got the tank and experiment up and running. The tank got a little dirty so we have to clean it next week.
4-6
We recently cleaned the fish tank and found out a little fish got stuck to it. We added more fish to the out tank and refilled the tank While cleaning it some of the plats feel through, we had to get them out and add more clay balls. Some of the plants got a little deformed but we are hoping it won't affect the experiment.
7-8
Materials and Budget
Items
Cost

Where to get it?
Rocks
Free
Animas amphitheater
Herbs Lemongrass
$3.00
Native Roots
Netting
Free
Miley has it
Fish (Fancy goldfish)
$6.00
Fish connection
Fish (betta)
$2.00
Fish connection
Fish food
$3.54
Fish connection
Tank cleaner
$2.00
Amazon
Containers for betta
Free
Annika has it
Containers for goldfish
Free
Miley has it
Total Cost
$36.55
Images and FiguresImage 1 and 2: The Aquaponics, the left one shows one with a betta fish and the right one with a goldfish
Image 3 and 4: How Aquaponics work
Bibliography
  1. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=BC4EzaMf-cU  
  2. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fMmhwvDNSK0
  3. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Aquaponics   http://eneco.ca/the-eneco-process/aquaponics.html
  4. http://www.volcanoveggies.com/benefits-of-aquaponics/
  5. http://www.co.brown.wi.us/i_brown/d/uw_extension/plant_needs_6-22-2010.pdf
  6. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Human_impact_on_the_environment
  7. http://www.suburbanfarmer.com.au/soil-grown-vs-aquaponics-grown/
  8. https://www.webmd.com/vitamins/ai/ingredientmono-719/lemongrass
  9. https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=RXp1GKRMiF0
  10. https://greenhouseshub.com/aquaponics-guide/​

Photosynthesis Lab 

The purpose of this lab to see how plants can use photosynthesis to make energy. What I got out of this was learning more about plants. I also was able to better my abilities to practice doing experiments and how to organize myself in a way that the information I gathered is helpful and makes sense. The photosynthesis basics is that water and light is trapped in the plant to make chlorophyll which is the plants food/energy source. Once this happens the plant is able to filter carbon dioxide into oxygen.
Picture
During this experiment our leaf disks had sinken in the water solution. Every minute that the  water and leaf mixture was under the light we would lightly swirl the mixture to help with the process of making the leafs float. After swirling it 10 times we decided to come back 40 minutes later and the leafs were floating. We used 6 willow leaf disks under a white light. The cup was on the light as a direct source. I believe that the water temperature may have had something to do with the rising of the leafs in the water as the water got much warmer when the leafs rose.

Picture

Monocot vs Dicot Mini experiment 

The purpose of this experiment was to further our knowledge on monocots and dicots and also to practice our ability to do other experiments and collect knowledge on them. A prediction I had that evolved over the course of this experiment was under estimating how fast the plants and roots would grow. After only one day I began to see the roots growing and soon after this the stocks began to grow and the leafs appeared. After gaining a lot of information on what monocots and dicots are I made the prediction that the mung beans were the dicots  and the corn would be the monocot. A monocot is a plant with a large tangled root system, while a dicot is one solid root with smaller branches coming of in some areas. My plants thrived very well with the conditions they were given. In order for this to happen I took a small plastic cup and placed three damp paper towels inside. After this I took the soaked mung beans and corn and scattered the seeds between the paper towels and cup so I could see the progress the plants were making in order to tell when the plants were ready to be transferred into soil to continue growing.
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  • Home
  • 9th Grade
    • Math 1
    • Physics
    • Humanities >
      • Technology Op-Ed
    • Spanish 1
    • Digital Art Foundations
    • Sustainable Design Project
  • 10th Grade
    • Humanities >
      • Heros Journey Project
      • Genocide: A Century of Death
      • Poetry
    • Biology
    • Painting
    • Spanish 2
    • Drawing
  • 11th Grade
    • Spanish 3 >
      • Mini-Proyecto de Guatemala
    • Advanced Digital Art
    • Advanced Drawing
    • Humanities >
      • Labor Project
      • Food Project
    • Advanced Painting
    • Chemistry
  • 12TH GRADE
    • Photography
    • Humanities
    • Studio Art
  • POL/TPOL
  • College/Career Prep
    • LINK Internship
    • College Search
    • Interest Surveys
    • Freshman Post Secondary Field Trip Reflections
    • Preparation and Anticipation