How does your garden grow? - Sam Albert

 Our kohlrabi plants have been growing at a steady pace throughout the experiment. They're not the biggest plants in the garden, but they've put in some work. Mitosis is one way our plant has been able to grow more. Through the five main phases (interphase, prophase, metaphase, anaphase, and telophase respectively) the plants' cells replace one another and help the plant grow more. The past couple days have been very warm and sunny, aiding in photosynthesis. The plant takes in sunlight, carbon dioxide, and water and converts it into food for itself (sugar and oxygen). This method also allows the plants to grow more. The last way our plants have been growing is through cellular respiration, where sugar and oxygen is made into carbon dioxide, water, and ATP (energy). By going through its three stages: glycolysis, the Krebs Cycle, and the electron transport chain, our plant is able to provide the energy its cells need to function.
         Rubisco and PEPC are two enzymes that are necessary for photosynthesis to be performed. Through transcription and translation, DNA is copied to RNA, which then produces proteins. In transcription, a gene's DNA is used for base pairing and the enzyme RNA polymerase helps make an early RNA molecule, which will eventually become matured RNA. More specifically, the RNA polymerase latches onto the DNA strand that's being copied, and then initiates the making of complementary RNA. Once the RNA has been made, it leaves the nucleus and goes to the cytoplasm, where the ribosomes are, and attaches itself to them, which marks the beginning of translation. The RNA is then read in sets of three nucleotides (codons), which makes up a certain piece of genetic code inside the RNA. Each codon also has a complimentary anti-codon, because mRNA is complimentary to tRNA. The ribosome matches up the tRNA codons to the mRNA codons, and every time a new tRNA enters the ribosome, its amino acid is added to the polypeptide chain, until it reaches a 'termination' codon (UAG, UAA, or UGA). The newly formed polypeptide then detaches from the ribosome, completing the final process of translation and officially becoming a protein. 

Image from December

Our kohlrabi plants have grown considerably since
last semester, and now is one of the bigger plants in the
garden. Although it isn't one of the prettier plants in the
garden, it is just as functional at cell division and protein
synthesis as the other Brassica oleraceas.

Image from February

Image from February