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Hypotheses
Hypothesis One
If an Arabidopsis thaliana plant is given 5 mM of Magnesium Sulfate per liter, it will grow better than if it is given no Magnesium Sulfate, as measured by its growth rate, leaf vibrancy, and number of trichomes.
The hypothesis was inconclusive
Hypothesis Two
A. thaliana plants with the AAP6 gene (wild-types) will grow better than the plants without the gene (mutants), as measured by their rosette diameter, bolt height, presence of anthocyanin, and number of trichomes.
This hypothesis was rejected
Hypothesis Three
A. thaliana plants given 5 mM of Magnesium Sulfate and without the AAP6 gene will grow better than a control group with neither variable, as measured by their rosette diameter, bolt height, number of siliques and trichomes, presence of anthocyanin, and leaf vibrancy.
This hypothesis was rejected
Our Variables
We had two different variables, which will both be explained here. The first variable is magnesium sulfate. Magnesium sulfate, commonly known as Epsom salts, is a compound often given to plants to improve their overall health. It contains three elements vital to plant growth and survival: magnesium, sulfur, and oxygen. Magnesium is a major component of chlorophyll, which is the pigment used to collect energy for photosynthesis. Sulfates are a major component in many proteins, and form disulfide bonds to create protein structure. This variable was chosen because it is a common chemical added to plants, and so it is important to know both how it interacts with and changes plant growth normally and how those effects might change in the absence of AAP6.
The second variable is the AAP6 gene. It codes for Amino Acid Permease 6, a protein which moves amino acids into the phloem for transport. It has been shown to affect the growth of various parasites, and so removing the gene might be helpful to farmers looking to make their plants more resistant to certain parasites. However, the gene's effects on plant growth are unknown, so our experiment aims to determine if removing AAP6 would have significant impact on our plants' growth rates.
Who We Are!
We are Mrs. Dexter's 4th and 5th block AP bio class; a diverse group of thirteen individuals who turned into friends through a series of assignments, tests, successes, failures, and many, many lab reports.
We would like to give a very special thanks to Virginia Tech and Mrs. Dexter for all their help and contributions! We very much appreciate everything you do for us!
-Class of 2028
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