A student investigated the effect of root space on plant growth. The student grew 2 groups of plants of the same variety with the same amount of water and sunlight in the same soil. The plants in A were grown in cube shaped containers that were 3 centimeters deep. The plants in group B were grown in cube shaped containers that were 10 centimeters deep. Group B plants grew bigger based on students table of investigations. Explain how you would know whether this effect was likely due to environmental or genetic factors

Question

A student investigated the effect of root space on plant growth. The student grew 2 groups of plants of the same variety with the same amount of water and sunlight in the same soil. The plants in A were grown in cube shaped containers that were 3 centimeters deep. The plants in group B were grown in cube shaped containers that were 10 centimeters deep. Group B plants grew bigger based on students table of investigations. Explain how you would know whether this effect was likely due to environmental or genetic factors

Answer 1

To determine whether the effect of root space on plant growth was likely due to environmental or genetic factors, the student would need to conduct further experiments or investigations.

1. Environmental factors: The student would need to eliminate or control any other environmental factors that could have influenced the growth of the plants. Some factors to consider would include temperature, humidity, air circulation, nutrient availability, and pest infestation. The student could ensure that each group of plants is exposed to the same conditions throughout the experiment.

2. Genetic factors: The student would need to ensure that both groups of plants are of the same variety to eliminate genetic differences as a possible cause of the observed effects. This can be done by carefully controlling the selection of the plant variety and confirming with the supplier or pre-existing literature on the specific traits of that variety.

Additionally, the student could perform further experiments to test the hypothesis. One approach would be to swap the plants between the containers and observe if the trend in growth size remains the same. If the plants previously in group A (with smaller root space) grow larger when transferred to group B containers (with larger root space) and vice versa, it might indicate that root space is indeed a significant environmental factor affecting plant growth.

By carefully controlling environmental factors and ensuring genetic consistency, the student can make a more reliable conclusion about the likely cause of the observed effect – whether it is due to environmental factors (such as root space) or genetic factors (inherent differences between plant varieties).