A Matter of Selection blog post #8 - Maya Lewis

1.  The leaves seemed to exhibit the most variation. Each brassica oleracea had mostly similar leaves to one another, except for these differences. Some were wrinkled and some weren't.  They also varied in size. However, although the leaves of the plant showed the most variation, the heights of the different plants showed the greatest range of variation. Some of these plants were very thin and tall, while others were very small but wide. The plant with the lowest height was 10 inches and the plant with the largest height was 37 inches.

2. Plant breeders bred their plants so that the outcome plants will acquire some traits over others.This process by which humans specifically breed certain plants to develop particular phenotypic traits is known as artificial selection, also known as selective breeding. As the species evolves over time, the Brassica Olracea plants have passed down their genes, generation after generation. This is called descent with modification which was a fundamental ideas when it comes to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution.  As each generation continued to pass on their traits from the last, the plant evolved to fit its environment ( taller plants to capture more sunlight, etc) As the genes are passed from parent the plant to offspring, it is quite possible that a genetic mutation can occur in the plant’s DNA slightly and sometimes drastically changing the resulting plant, leading to natural variation within a species.

3. The Brassica Oleracea plants in the garden are all vary, but they also have multiple similarities. The most prominent difference are the plants’ stems. They are all of similar color( a light green) and had a consistency of diameter (most being around 0.5-1 inch in diameter). There are many possible reasons as to why they are similar. First off, no matter what type of Brassica Oleracea plant it is, the stem will still have the same function The primary functions of the stem are to support the leaves, to conduct water and minerals to the leaves, where they can then be converted into usable products by photosynthesis, and to transport these products from the leaves to other parts of the plant including the roots. Changing the look of stem would have absolutely no effect on its function. There were still some variation between each stem, but this part of the plant still had the most similarities among each other.

4. If one were trying to change the stem of a Brassica Oleracea, the change would not be substantial, and would probably take many generations to fully complete the process to get the desired plant. However, doing this is not impossible. The stem’s main purpose is to transport water and minerals throughout the plant. If a plant was thin, then the stem would also be quite skinny because it wouldn't need to transport as much as a larger plant. Comparitively, if the plant was short and wide, the stem would also be larger in size because there would be more minerals and water to transport in different directions. If plant breeders wanted to drastically change the stem, then they would have to find a way to make the plant grow more outward rather than upwards which in turn would increase the diameter of the stem. To do this breeders would most likely use the thicker plants to get a wider stem diameter.

A Matter of Selection - Sam Albert

1. The leaves on the Brassica oleracea plants showed the most variation. The kale's leaves, for example, had oak-like leaves and took up a large radius around the plant. Others, like the cabbage leaves, were wide and didn't produce very many leaves. The characteristic with the most drastic difference was the height of the plants. Some plants (like the kale) towered over the others at three feet tall, while some (like the cabbage) reached just below a foot at ten inches. In fact, the cabbage and kale plants seemed to be polar opposites, with the kale large and impressive, and the cabbage short and dwarf-like. The many differences in these plants occurred both artificially and naturally, and all originated from the wild mustard plant.

2. Plant breeders might've selectively bred different kinds of the Brassica oleracea to get certain traits in the plants. They might've done this to increase the size of the flower/vegetable produced from the plant, or just to experiment with to see the various outcomes. Artificial selection is another name for selective breeding, and it was actually used to cultivate many Brassica oleracea plants from wild mustard. For example, breeders would suppress flower development to get broccoli, enlarge leaves to get kale, and keep the flowers sterile to get cauliflower. This species has been evolving over time, and our plants have the same genes and some similar traits that their ancestors had generations ago. Descent from modification, one of Darwin's key ideas, is how our plants have been inheriting their parents' traits. Yet another way variation between plants can happen is through genetic mutations, where the plant's DNA is altered in the gene, affecting the genetic makeup of the plant and potentially creating variation.

3. The members in our group all agreed that the stem of the Brassica oleracea plants seemed to be the most consistently similar. The stems averaged out at around half an inch to an inch per plant. Their lengths were usually several inches long, but could be larger or smaller. Almost everything about their anatomy was the same (color, size, radius). Our plants still aren't fully grown yet, so there is a possibility that their lengths and sizes could change. Stems aren't going to have a lot of genetic diversity due to their role in the plant's system: support and transport of water and nutrients. There's no real reason for the stem to change. Breeders did modify stems in kohlrabi plants, but since the plant is still growing the stems were still very much alike to the others.

4. If a breeder wanted a plant with a new or unique stem than from before, it could be done, but it would take some time. What they would have to do is find a parent plant with a similar type of stem to what they are looking for, and breed it with another matching parent plant to get their desired offspring. Then they would use the most suited offspring to breed again, and then repeat the process until they got a good result. So if they wanted a stem that was long and skinny, they would need to choose an existing Brassica oleracea plant that naturally has a long and skinny stem and breed it with another alike plant until they got the stem they wanted. It could take dozens of generations, and it could take four or five.

Kale plant with the broad, oakish leaves

Short cabbage plant with wide, curved leaves

A Matter Of Selection- Abel Spackman

1. Out of all of the parts of the Brassica Olracea, the leaves seemed to exhibit the most variation. Although all of the leaves were mostly similar, each plant still had a different style leaf. Some were wide and wrinkled and others were small and shaped differently. However, although the leaves of the plat showed the most variation, the heights of the different plants showed the greatest range of variation. Some of thee plants were very tall and skinny while others were very small but wide. The plant with the lowest height was 10 inches and the plant with that largest height was an impressive 37 inches.

2. In order to get specific traits in a plant, plant breeders might have bred different kinds of Brassica Olracea. This old have been done for a number of reasons. Perhaps they wanted larger crops. Maybe they wanted higher quality produce (fruits, vegetables,...). This process by which humans specifically breed certain plants to develop particular phenotypic traits is known as artificial selection, also known as selective breeding. As the species evolves over time, the Brassica Olracea plants have passed down their genes, generation after generation. This is called descent with modification which was a fundamental ideas when it comes to Charles Darwin’s theory of evolution. As the genes are passed from parent to offspring, it is quite possible that a genetic mutation can occur in the plant’s DNA slightly and sometimes drastically changing the resulting plant. These mutations can lead to natural variation within a species.

3. The Brassica Olraccea plants in the garden are all very different, but they do have similarities. The biggest similarity is the plants’ stems. They are all of similar color and diameter (most being around 0.5-1 inch in diameter). There are many possibilities of why they are similar. First off, no matter what type of Brassica Olracea plant it is, the stem will still have the same function. It will transport water and food to all parts of the plant. Changing the look of stem would have absolutely no effect on its function therefor they were all similar. Of course the stems were not exactly alike, but it was the part of the plants that was the most similar between them.

4. If one were trying to change the stem of a Brassica Olracea to a stem not similar to the ones on the plants in the garden, it would not be trivial. However, it is not impossible. The stem’s main purpose is to transport water and food throughout the plant. If a plant was skinny, then the ste wold also be quite skinny because it would not need to transport as much food nor water. On the other hand, if the plant was wide and not very tall, the stem would logically be bigger because there would be more food and water to transport outwards rather than up and down. So, if plant breeders wanted to drastically change the stem, then they would have to find a way to make the plant grow more outward rather than upwards which in turn would increase the diameter of the stem.

Blog post #7 SOTS MAYA LEWIS

Fertilization in flowering plants happens through a process called pollination. Pollination occurs when pollen grains from the anther land on a stigma. After pollen grains land on the stigma, a pollen tube grows from the pollen grain, through the style, and into the ovary. Sperm cells inside the pollen grain travel down the pollen tube and into the ovary which contains the ovules. Fertilization occurs when one of the sperm cells fuses with the egg inside of an ovule. After fertilization occurs, each ovule develops into a seed. Each seed contains a tiny, undeveloped plant called an embryo. The ovary surrounding the ovules develops into a fruit that contains one or more seeds.

The male reproductive part of a flower is called the stamen. It is composed of a long tube, called a filament, and has a pollen-producing structure on the end. This oval-shaped structure is called the anther. It is crucial in the reproduction of flowering plants, as it produces the male gametophyte, known as pollen.

This is the female reproductive structure of a flower is known as a carpel. The three main parts of the carpel are the ovary, stigma, and a style. The carpel's job is to create the egg and protect the embryo. The stigma is also where the pollination occurs.

 In some species of flowering plant, the male and female parts are located in separate flowers (some flowers are male, some are female), and yet another situation is when the male and female flowers are on entirely separate individuals (some plants are male, some are female). 

This is the petal of the flower. It's bright color attracts pollinators like bees and other insects. 

Abel Spackman Blogpost Assignment #7: Anthers and Stigma and Styles, Oh My!

Fertilization:
       In most flowering plant, fertilization can be a complicated and intricate process including many key factors. The first step before fertilization can even occur is pollination, but even before that, meiosis must take place in the anthers. Four haploid spore cells are created from this process. These will eventually become pollen grains. After that, pollination occurs when pollen grains from the anther land on a stigma. This can happen when bees, birds, and other animals go from one flower to the next picking up pollen as they go without even noticing. Other ways of transportation include weather events, wind, and other similar predicament. After the pollen grains land on the stigma, a pollen tube grows (from the pollen grain) through the style and into the ovary. Sperm cells inside the pollen grain begin to travel downward through the pollen tube into the ovary. The ovary contains the ovules. Finally, when one of the sperm cells fuses with the egg inside of an ovule, fertilization occurs. After fertilization has occurred, each ovule turns into a seed. Each seed will contain an embryo (a tiny undeveloped plant) and will very possibly grow someday into a beautiful flower.

Pictures:


This is a picture of a petal of the flower. Petals help protect some parts of the flower and at the same time their color attracts bees and other small animals to help with the process of pollination.

This is a picture of the anthers. The anthers are located on the end of the stamen. Their role is to create the male gametophyte know as pollen.


This is the female reproductive structure of a flower is known as a carpel. The three main parts of the carpel are the ovary, stigma, and a style. It’s job is to create the egg and protect the embryo. The stigma is also where the pollination occurs.

This photo shows the ovules which are located within the ovary. When fertilized, the ovules will turn into seeds. The seed will contain the embryo, the endosperm, and a seed coat.

Blogpost #7 - Sam Albert

Dissecting Microscopes

Our Brassica oleracea plants are angiosperms, or plants that flower and produce seeds. The first 

step in fertilization is pollination, where pollen, moved by air or water, lands on the pistil of the flowers.

Soon after, the pollen grain grows a tube-like structure toward the egg cells in the ovary. The pollen then makes an opening in the ovules (a micropyle). The last step involved is the fertilization itself, where most angiosperms like our Brassica oleracea undergo double fertilization. In double fertilization, 

not only the zygote is made, but two polar nuclei are also made, which later goes on to make the 

endosperm, the food storage for the growing embryo. A seed starts to develop once the fertilization 

stage is over.

This first picture shows the female reproductive structure (carpel) of one of the Brassica oleracea flowers. The little green, pea-like structures are ovules, contained in ovary. The other structures shown are the stigma and style. The ovules can be viewed like this by cutting the ovary open with a fingernail. 

    In this image, the filaments and ovary can be seen. The filaments are part of the male reproductive structure in the angiosperm flowers. The sepals are mostly torn off to better show the other parts. Filaments are for holding up the anthers (the top part of the stamen).

This picture shows the stigma and the anthers. They're the main parts of the stamen and pistil, the male and female reproductive structures. The stigma takes in the pollen during fertilization, while the anthers control the pollen grains, containing the sperm cells.

This last image depicts the entirety of the flower we dissected. It falls under the category of a perfect flower, or one that has both male and female reproductive systems. This one has petals, a pistil, and anthers.

How does your garden grow? -Maya Lewis

1. Our Kohlrabi plant is getting bigger and adding biomass by having its cells divide through a process called mitosis, and to do this the plant needs to collect sugar to convert into energy. To collect sugar the plant performs photosynthesis which converts water, from the soil, and carbon dioxide, from the air, into oxygen and sugar called glucose. This sugar is important for cellular respiration. Cellular respiration is the process in which a cell uses oxygen to convert glucose, a simple sugar, into the energy-carrying molecule, adenosine triphosphate (ATP). After this, the plant then able to move the sugars to the cells so that the plant can perform mitosis and grow.

2.To perform photosynthesis plants needs the enzymes phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) and ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco). When the cell tells the nucleus to produce more of these enzymes it will have RNAsynthase go to the part of the cell chromosome that contains the gene coding for the protein. It will then spilt the DNA so it can copy the information and make mRNA. This happens by a process of complimenting base pairs. Then it sends the mRNA to ribosomes to create proteins. It reads the gene in sets of 3 base pairs known as codons which then codes what amino acids are going to be added to the polypeptides in the order that is read. After a certain point, one of the codons will tell the ribosome that the protein is complete so it will release the codon and the mRNA, thus completing the process of making an enzyme.

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

How Does Your Garden Grow?-Abel

As our Kohlrabi plants grows and gets bigger, it is adding biomass. Photosynthesis uses
Carbon Dioxide, Nitrogen, water, and sunlight to create food for the plant. The Kohlrabi
uses the Carbon Dioxide to create glucose (sugar) providing it with energy. Cellular
Respiration is the exact opposite of this process and after complete, it lets out Carbon
Dioxide in which will be again used in photosynthesis. Cell Division is the main part of
adding biomass. As the cells divide, the plant slowly increases in size because new cells
are constantly being created. Using mitosis, the cells divide through five steps resulting with
the plants growing at a steady pace.

During the process of photosynthesis, enzymes are often used to speed up the reaction. Phosphoenolpyruvate carboxylase (PEPC) and ribulose 1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase (Rubisco) are two very important enzymes used in photosynthesis. As more cells are created, more of these enzymes are as well and to create more, a message is sent to the nucleus. Enzymes are a type of protein and because of that, with the help of a ribosome, they are created in each cell. The DNA has to split and find its complementary RNA strand. Afterwards, the messenger RNA moves itself out of the nucleus and into the cytoplasm in which it splits into groups of three creating codons. mRNA and tRNA are complementary to each other. The tRNA forms an anticodon to compliment the RNA’s. This helps to connect to the ribosome so that it can transcript correctly. Each and every combination of codons creates a specific amino acid. The start signal is Methionine and it will eventually reach a stop signal and when that occurs, the polypeptide chain will have been completed. The chain is now a protein and in some cases, it’s a enzyme which can be used in photosynthesis.

Photos/Videos (December)

Timeline (December)

November 15- Chose two dates to come in for garden cleanup (one hour each day for a total of two)

November   - Garden Cleanup from 2:40-3:40. Pulled out weeds, cut grass around Kohlrabi plants with scissors, and fertilized the plants with the grass cut.

November   - Garden Cleanup from 2:35-3:35. Pulled more weeds out, pulled out grass from near fence, and shoveled mulch. 

December 10- Completed Outline and Budget Statement.

December 14- Completed Timeline and Photos/Videos.

Budget Statement (December)

https://docs.google.com/spreadsheets/d/1xnIrDr3JCQQQr0XPCHpIwWz0G7JSEKivZtUKlUVWMiU/edit?usp=sharing

Outline (December)

Steps:

1. Choose two days available for garden cleanup.

2. After school on the first day stay for one hour cleaning up the garden, taking out weeds, and cutting grass surrounding the Kohlrabi.

3. After school the second day, stay for the last hour and continue to take out weeds and fertilize the Kohlrabi by leaving some of the cut grass on the soil. 

4. Each of these days, write a blog on what you did.

5. Finish the four part blog and post on Blogger.