A scientist separates plant pigments from leaf, root, and stem samples by paper chromatography. All the leaf chromatographs include yellow green and blue green spots but none of the root and only a few of the stem chromatographs have these green spots. Many of the samples have yellow, orange, red, or purple spots.
What is the scientist trying to do/learn?
I was thinking about the chlorophyll.. but i had no ideas on the last sentence "Many of the samples have yellow, orange, red, or purple spots."..
Any help will be appreciated.
Thank You =]
Can someone please help me out?
Thanks.
The scientist is trying to analyze the plant pigments present in leaf, root, and stem samples using a technique called paper chromatography.
Paper chromatography is a method used to separate and identify different pigments in a mixture based on their solubility and affinity for the chromatography paper. In this case, the scientist is interested in studying the pigments found in different parts of the plant.
By performing paper chromatography, the scientist can analyze the different chromatographs (chromatography paper with separated pigments) and observe the spots or bands of pigments that are visible. This allows them to determine which pigments are present in each sample and how they vary between the leaf, root, and stem samples.
Regarding the statement "Many of the samples have yellow, orange, red, or purple spots," it suggests that in addition to the green spots present in all the leaf samples and some stem samples, there are other pigments with different colors present in various samples. These additional pigments could be carotenoids (which contribute to yellow, orange, and red colors) or anthocyanins (which contribute to purple and red colors).
Therefore, by analyzing the chromatographs and identifying the specific pigments present in each sample, the scientist can gain insights into the distribution and composition of plant pigments in different parts of the plant. This information can be valuable for understanding photosynthesis, plant physiology, and potentially even evolutionary adaptations.