Question
A student investigated the effect of root space on plant growth. The student grew two groups of plants of the same variety. Both groups received the same amount of water and sunlight and grew in the same type of soil. The plants in Group 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. The table shows the student's observations
Week Plant Group A (Average Height, cm) Plant Group B (Average Height, cm)
1 2 3
2 3 6
3 5 8
4 7 10
5 8 14
6 10 18
What was the effect of root space on plant growth based on the student's investigation? Use the data from the table to support your answer. Explain how you would know whether this effect was likely due to environmental or genetic factors.
Based on the data from the table, it is clear that the plants in Group B, which had more root space with containers that were 10 centimeters deep, exhibited greater growth in terms of height compared to the plants in Group A, which had less root space with containers that were only 3 centimeters deep.
In Group B, the plants consistently had greater average heights at each week compared to the plants in Group A. By the end of the 6-week period, the plants in Group B had nearly doubled in height, while the plants in Group A had only increased by about 80%.
This effect of root space on plant growth is likely due to environmental factors, specifically the amount of space available for root growth. With more root space, the plants in Group B were able to develop larger and stronger root systems, allowing them to absorb more nutrients and water from the soil, resulting in better overall growth. On the other hand, the restricted root space in Group A likely limited the plants' ability to access these essential resources, leading to slower growth.
To determine whether this effect was primarily due to genetic factors, additional experiments would need to be conducted. This could involve repeating the experiment with different plant varieties to see if the same pattern of growth occurs. Additionally, genetic studies could be conducted to analyze the gene expression related to root development in plants with varying amounts of root space.