I'm doing a writing assignment on plant stress physiology. The stress that I chose to research was heat stress. One of the things that I have to do is describe at least 3 experiments that I plan to perform (hypothetically speaking, of course). At least one experiment should be at the molecular/cellular level and the other at the physiological level. I also need to describe why the experiments are being performed. I am having trouble with thinking up some experiments and I have no idea what the molecular/cellular/physiological levels are. That is one of the things confusing me. Can somebody help me think of some experiments??
I posted this on the biology site provided by Ms. Sue and didn't get a straight forward answer from them. And when I do ask a question, it takes a whole day for me to get a response. I need help thinking of some experiments, but I don't know where else I can go for help.
Thanks for reporting back on the Biology Forum.
These sites may help you.
http://lifeofplant.blogspot.com/2011/02/plant-cells-molecular-level.html
http://www.hcs.ohio-state.edu/hcs300/cell1.htm
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plant_physiology
The first thing I suggest you do is choose a plant. African violets, for instance, do not thrive in wide ranges of temperature. Many cacti, though, do seem to do well in temperature extremes.
Once you've chosen a type of plant, use at least three different identical specimens for your experiment. Treat them the same regarding water and light. Vary the heat for each plant.
Thank you so much! This really helped
I'd be happy to help you come up with some experiments related to plant stress physiology, specifically heat stress, and explain the different levels of study involved. Let's start by understanding the three levels: molecular, cellular, and physiological.
1. Molecular Level: This level focuses on the smallest units of life, such as genes, proteins, and biochemical reactions within cells. In the context of plant stress physiology, this level involves studying specific molecular responses to heat stress, such as changes in gene expression or protein activity.
2. Cellular Level: This level examines how groups of molecules work together within individual cells to perform specific functions. At the cellular level, experiments investigate the responses of plant cells to heat stress, including changes in cell structure, metabolism, and signaling pathways.
3. Physiological Level: This level explores the overall functioning and responses of whole plants to environmental stimuli. At this level, experiments would consider the effects of heat stress on various aspects of plant physiology, such as growth, photosynthesis, water relations, and nutrient uptake.
To help you generate ideas for experiments, consider the following:
Molecular Level Experiment:
- Experiment: Measure changes in gene expression in response to heat stress in plants.
- Purpose: To understand which genes are activated or suppressed under heat stress conditions, providing insights into the molecular mechanisms that plants employ to cope with heat stress.
Cellular Level Experiment:
- Experiment: Investigate changes in the activity of heat shock proteins (HSPs) in plant cells exposed to heat stress.
- Purpose: HSPs are known to play a role in protecting cells from stress. This experiment aims to analyze the cellular response to heat stress by examining the expression and function of HSPs.
Physiological Level Experiment:
- Experiment: Evaluate the impact of heat stress on plant water relations.
- Purpose: Heat stress can affect a plant's ability to regulate its water balance. This experiment would involve measuring parameters like transpiration and stomatal conductance to assess how heat stress affects water movement and plant hydration.
Remember that these experiments are hypothetical examples to spark your own ideas and can be further refined based on the specific research question you want to address in your assignment.