Background Research Worksheet
TYPE YOUR ANSWERS INTO THIS WORD DOCUMENT
1. This Question has multiple parts:
a. What is an angiosperm?
A plant that has flowers and produces seeds enclosed within a carpel
b. What is a seed?
A flowering plant's unit of reproduction, capable of developing into another such plant
c. How do angiosperms produce seeds?
Angiosperm eggs are fertilized and then develop into a seed in a ovary that is usually in flowers.
2. Look up the following terms and define them:
a. Endosperm-The part of a seed that acts as a food store for the developing plant embryo, usually containing starch with protein and other nutrients
b. Cotyledons-An embryonic leaf in seed-bearing plants, one or more of which are the first leaves to appear from a germinating seed
c. Radicle- The part of an embryo that gives rise to the root system of a plant.
d. Hypocotyls-The part of the stem of an embryo plant beneath the stalks of the seed leaves, or cotyledons, and directly above the root
3. What happens during seed germination?
When a seed has made it to a location and is covered with dirt. If planted deeply and supplied with sufficient water, and proper temperature, the seeds will fill with water. Water activates the enzymes and begins seed growth. The roots then grow reaching for water underground. Next, growth above the ground happens where leaves will harvest the sun’s energy.
4. Suggest two questions about seed germination that your group could test.
Does the seed grow better deeper into the soil or just right under the soil?
Does excess water amplify growth of the seed?
5. Pick one of your questions and formulate a null hypothesis and alternative hypothesis. Place your hypotheses below:
What is your null hypothesis? Excess water will not amplify the growth of the seed.
What is your alternative hypothesis? Excess water will amplify the growth of the seed.
Design an experiment to test your hypothesis by answering the questions below:
a. What is your independent variable? Amount of water
b. What is your dependent variable? Growth of seed
c. What are your constant variables? Type of seed
d. What is your control group? No water in pot
e. What is your experimental group? Pot with extra excess water
f. When will you record/measure your dependent variable? How fast roots come out.
g. How many seeds will be in your control and experimental groups? 1
h. How many replicates of the experiment will you perform? 3
Pick two types of seeds you could use in your experiment. For each seed type you pick, answer questions 7 and 8.
6. What species is it? Give the common name and the species name. The species name must be written correctly. (To write a species name correctly, the genus name is always capitalized and the species name is always in lower-case. The two words are separate and italicized, like this: Phaseolus vulgaris)
Rose/ Rosa
Dandelion/ Taraxacum
7. Where does each species named in #7 normally grow (what conditions? dry, wet, warm, cool, etc.)?
Roses grow best in warm climates, flower in summer months but can also grow in temperatures of -50 degrees Fahrenheit.
Dandelions grow in moist, sunny areas. Grows slowly in areas with cold winters.
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