Mung Beans
Abstract
The Seeds of Mung bean, wheat, and silver beet were tested in environments of differing salinities to note down if high salinity environments were worse for the seeds. It was found that generally lower concentrations were better for germination then higher concentrations. Despite this, the hypothesis was not completely supported as in wheat and silver beet the second concentration had a higher rate of germination than the control and in all instances the highest concentration had a higher germination rate than the second highest concentration.
Introduction
Salinity refers to salt dissolved in a substance such as water or soil. Different plants have differing levels of salt tolerance, due to certain adoptions to specific environments.
If a plant is not adapted to high salinity areas, they can be very detrimental to them. This is due to the process of osmosis. Osmosis is the process that occurs when there are differing concentrations between the inside and outside of a cell (Etomica, 2010). The reason that solutions can travel through a cell is due to its cell membrane, which is a semi-permeable, meaning that only some things and not others can pass through it (Purchon, N, 2000).
If there is a higher concentration on the outside of the cell than on the inside of the cell then it is referred to as hypotonic. When this happens, water flows from outside the cell into it, and the cell starts to swell. When the cell swells it is said to be turgid, which means swollen and hard (Etomica, 2010). In plant cells there is a cell wall which prevents these cells from bursting, and when the internal and external pressures become equal the ‘turgor pressure’ prevents the cell from taking in any more water (Etomica, 2010).
If the concentration is higher on the inside, however, than it is referred to as hypertonic. When a cell is in a hypertonic solution, water from the inside of the cell will travel out of the cell (Etomica, 2010). When this happens, the cell is
The Seeds of Mung bean, wheat, and silver beet were tested in environments of differing salinities to note down if high salinity environments were worse for the seeds. It was found that generally lower concentrations were better for germination then higher concentrations. Despite this, the hypothesis was not completely supported as in wheat and silver beet the second concentration had a higher rate of germination than the control and in all instances the highest concentration had a higher germination rate than the second highest concentration.
Introduction
Salinity refers to salt dissolved in a substance such as water or soil. Different plants have differing levels of salt tolerance, due to certain adoptions to specific environments.
If a plant is not adapted to high salinity areas, they can be very detrimental to them. This is due to the process of osmosis. Osmosis is the process that occurs when there are differing concentrations between the inside and outside of a cell (Etomica, 2010). The reason that solutions can travel through a cell is due to its cell membrane, which is a semi-permeable, meaning that only some things and not others can pass through it (Purchon, N, 2000).
If there is a higher concentration on the outside of the cell than on the inside of the cell then it is referred to as hypotonic. When this happens, water flows from outside the cell into it, and the cell starts to swell. When the cell swells it is said to be turgid, which means swollen and hard (Etomica, 2010). In plant cells there is a cell wall which prevents these cells from bursting, and when the internal and external pressures become equal the ‘turgor pressure’ prevents the cell from taking in any more water (Etomica, 2010).
If the concentration is higher on the inside, however, than it is referred to as hypertonic. When a cell is in a hypertonic solution, water from the inside of the cell will travel out of the cell (Etomica, 2010). When this happens, the cell is