Elodea experiment.

Today in Biology HL we did a another experiment, but smaller than the previous one. In the experiment we took Elodea, an aquatic plant.

What we wanted to proof with the Elodea was that the rate of photosynthesis actually depends on the amount of light that is given to the plant. We put the plant inside of a test tube with water and we were able to see the bubbles of CO2 that came out from the plant. Then, we plugged a lamp and gradually we moved it closer to the test tube. Doing this, we could actually see how the rate of bubbles increased at the same time we moved the lamp nearer to the plant.

I found it really interesting, and it shows you how what you're studying actually works in real life.

Pigment spectrum experiment

So as I said in my last post,  we started photosynthesis in my class of Biology HL. Today we did our first practical in this topic for understanding better how pigments (Chlorophyll is an example of a pigment) actually work and how do they difference from each other.

In the practical, the first thing we did was to put a small spatula of sodium sulphate into a test tube. Then, in that same test tube we got some small pieces of spinach inside of it and mixed them with a forceps. After mixing both of them until we get kind of a liquid, we get that liquid with a painting brush. Using that painting brush, we put the liquid in a small point of  a peace of paper, 1.5 cm from the edge. Then we blow in the point and put more liquid in it, for making it really concentrated. After repeating this step a couple of times, we get the paper into a test tube and fill it in with solvent B (I don't know the exact name) until the liquid is a couple of milimetres far from the point.

After all this process we leave the test tube with the paper resting for a couple of minutes. The solvent B would carry the pigments, which has been separated by the Sodium sulphate. The solvent would be able to carry some pigments further than others depending on their "weight" and we will be able to see the different pigments form the spinach leaves.

Photosynthetic animals?

Photosynthetic animals?

We just started topic 8.3, photosynthesis, in Biology HL. One of the first things we were talking about were if plants, fungi, algae and some microorganisms were the only ones that could get energy via photosynthesis. We discovered then that that isn't true. First of all we looked this video:

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=AcX2n1rC4W4

(Since I started IB Hank has became one of my closest friends)

So It's true that there are animals that use photosynthesis for getting energy from the environment and accumulate it as ATP. And only that, There also vertebrates which do that. It is true that they are not fully photosynthetic (except of the first one which has to eat for their first weeks), but still, that animals have evolved to create a type of symbiosis (or at least mutualism) between them and photosynthetic creatures for harvesting energy.

Another animal that we checked in our last lesson was a specific type of jellyfish that only lives in one specific lake an specific island of indonesia which has living algae on them and they live in a completely symbiotic relationship. The Algae provides the energy needed by the jellyfish for surviving and the jellyfish moves towards the sun, facilitating the algae's work, and also protecting it from the outside.

I just see that the possibility of having photosynthetic animals in the actual world (Which means that there's a possibility of humans also being able of doing that in a far future) absolutely amazing.