| Explore | through alternation of generations the offspring of the fern can be different or varied, with different genders depending on which spore germinates first. I have had experience with plant growth under different lights, changing the wavelengths of the energy. |
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| Research Question | Our: How does changing the wavelength(red or violet) of light affect the growth of the of the Cferns? Overall: How can we impact the haploid generation of Cferns? |
| Predictions | If the wavelength of light is changed (red or violet) then growth will vary, because different pigments absorb different wavelengths of light for use in photosynthesis. |
| Experimental Design | The wavelength of light is the independent variable, thus meaning that it will be changed according to which dish. In one dish we will cover it with two layers of green film, another it will be covered with a red film. Another one of the dishes will be covered in a violet film by combining red and blue film, and the last one will be left uncovered. Then they will be placed in a ziplock bag and then stuck under a 30 watt Lights Of America FCL30EX-L that will be left on for 24/7. From there the dishes are take out of the bag measured with the lid on and the data is recorded, we measured every other day except for the weekends. Then water is placed into each of the dishes and they are replaced back into the bags and put back under the light bulb. We measured the growth of the gametophytes using the Micrometers on the compound microscope. As well as measuring every other day, excluding the weekends, we drew out the gametophytes in their dishes and recorded their growth. We measured 3 gametophytes and recorded that data and then averaged it for everyday that we measured. |
| Conclusion | Wavelengths of light do affect the development of hermaphrodites. Our hypothesis was supported by our data. The Red and the violet wavelengths increased the development of the hermaphrodites because they expressed greater sizes than the control. The green however decreased development as it showed lower development than the control. This trend happens because the red (750nm) and violet (375nm) dishes absorb these colors better which gives the plant more energy to perform photosynthesis. The green dish (525nm) reflects light and provides less energy for the plants to grow. More photosynthesis results in more development. |
| Investigation Theme | CFERN |
| Grade Level | High School Students (Grades 9,10,11,12) |
| School Name | Central High School |
| Session | Spring 2018 |