Due to Customs restrictions, we only accept orders from educational institutions within the Continental United States, Alaska or Hawaii. Three Types of Plant Physiology Lab Experiments
The foundations of biology education are not complete without a thorough understanding of the basics of plant physiology. Modern Biology brings the concepts of modern plant physiology to life with three hands-on experiments that train your students in scientific methods at the same time they learn plant physiology.
IND-22:Characterization of Peroxidases in Plants
Modern Biology’s IND-22: Characterization of Peroxidases in Plants engages AP and college biology students in exciting hands-on biology experiments they design for themselves. IND-22 takes advantage of the fact that plant peroxidase isozymes can be tissue-specific and developmentally regulated.
These isozymes can confer resistance to salt and to disease. The peroxidase can strengthen the plant cell wall and kill pathogenic microbes.
Your students will begin all of their projects in this series (and in every Modern Biology series) with a hypothesis. Then they will make a statement of fact that they will test in your lab with the complete experiment materials provided by Modern Biology. Your students will use materials provided by Modern Biology, or vegetables plus intact plants or stems and roots they collect outside of class.
Your students will first develop their skills with the technique of tissue printing, enabling them to localize peroxidase in cross-sections of plant tissues. Next, they will quantify peroxidase activity by a spectrophotometric procedure and DOT-blot assay. Your students will also do an analysis with electrophoresis to characterize peroxidase isozymes in plant extracts they prepare with a mortar and pestle.
As a capstone exercise for IND-22, your students will organize their data into a scientific paper formatted in the style required for journal submissions. They will learn the elements of style in scientific communications and publications that are detailed in their laboratory manuals.
Students have completed this series of experiments with studies entitled:
- Effects of salt stress on the levels, tissue distribution, and isoenzyme profiles of peroxidases in the turnip.
- Developmental changes in the corn stem as viewed by peroxidase types, amounts, and tissue location.
- Variations in peroxidase levels, tissue distribution, and isoenzymes in different regions of the carrot.
IND-32: Plant Pigment/Peroxidase Analysis
Plant physiology isn’t just a study for advanced biology students. Even first-year students can master the techniques required for IND-32: Plant Pigment/Peroxidase Analysis. Students extract pigments from colorful vegetables they bring from home with a mortar and pestle.
They then compare the peroxidases they extract against molecules of known molecular weight, cytochrome-C, and hemoglobin-albumin with electrophoresis. All reagents and electrophoresis equipment are available from Modern Biology.
IND-29: Electrophoretic and Chromatographic Analysis of Photosynthetic Pigments from Blue-Green Algae
Your students can continue their students of plant pigments with IND-29: Electrophoretic and Chromatographic Analysis of Photosynthetic Pigments from Blue-Green Algae. Your students extract the blue pigment phycocyanin with water.
They extract the fat-soluble carotenoids with alcohol. Students use electrophoresis to show that the sole water-soluble pigment in their samples is the protein phycocyanin, and then they use thin-layer chromatography to demonstrate the presence of multiple carotenoids.
Thin-layer chromatography introduces your students both to one of the most important plants on earth and one of the most important techniques for their future study of and careers in biology.
Why Modern Biology Experiments is the best choice
Every experiment kit made by Modern Biology supports scientific thinking. Students test their hypotheses. They never just watch demonstrations. They are never limited to facts and vocabulary.
Every Modern Biology helps students develop the manual dexterity and note-taking skills that they will carry to future study and their careers. Modern Biology is developed by working scientists for future working scientists.
Every Modern Biology kit includes all the reagents and test materials teachers need for their laboratory exercise. There is no ordering separate reagents, fussing about missing shipments, or checking out lab materials from the supply room.
Modern Biology supplies the safe, non-toxic, reliable reagents and measurement materials you need for every laboratory exercise. And because every Modern Biology experiment is available at a fixed cost, it’s easier to budget your supply cost for each class for each term.
Want to learn more? Email Modern Biology or call us at (765) 446-4220 Monday through Friday from 9 to 5 Eastern time.