Enzyme project data and results- Duaa, Audrey, Elena

Elena M, Audrey M, and Duaa K

Question

How do abiotic or biotic factors influence the rates of enzymatic reactions (chemical reactions that are assisted by enzymes)?

Background

Enzymes speed up chemical reactions by lowering activation energy (that is, the energy 

needed for a reaction to begin). In every chemical reaction, the starting materials (the 

substrate(s) in the case of enzymes) can take many different paths to forming products. 

For each path, there is an intermediate or transitional product between reactants and 

final products. The energy needed to start a reaction is the energy required to form that 

transitional product. Enzymes make it easier for substrates to reach that transitional 

state. The easier it is to reach that state, the less energy the reaction needs. 

Enzymes are biological catalysts. They are large protein molecules, folded so that they 

have very specifically shaped substrate binding sites. These binding sites make substrates 

go into the transition state. To catalyze the reaction, several regions of the binding site 

must be precisely positioned around the substrate molecules. Any change in the shape of 

the overall folded enzyme molecule can change the shape of the binding site. 

The optimum reaction conditions are different for each enzyme. The correct 

environmental conditions, proper substrates, and, often, particular cofactors associated 

with an enzyme are needed. In some instances, the optimum conditions can be deduced 

fairly accurately based on the following:

• The organism from which the enzyme is derived
• The part of the organism in which the enzyme functions
• The environmental conditions in which that organism lives

Take the example of lactase, an enzyme that catabolizes (breaks down) the disaccharide sugar lactose into two monosaccharides, glucose and galactose. In humans, lactase is found mostly in the small intestine, where the pH is around 7. It would be reasonable to hypothesize that human lactase is optimally active at pH 7 and at 37°C (normal human core body temperature in degrees celsius). Free-living decomposer fungi in soil also produce lactase. However, soil pH usually is between 5 and 6.5. As could be predicted, the purified enzyme from a common soil fungus has a pH optimum of 5.5. The main enzyme for this lab, peroxidase, is found in many different forms, with optimum pHs ranging from 4 to 11 depending on the source and optimum temperatures varying from 10 to 70°C.

Purpose

In this experiment you will investigate the effect of environmental factors on the enzyme hydrogen peroxidase. This enzyme is found in all aerobic (using oxygen) cells and functions to decompose hydrogen peroxide into O2(g) and H2O. The specific environmental factors you will test (as a class) are temperature, pH, substrate concentration, and enzyme concentration. Your team will select one of these factors (variables) to test and report on.

Materials

• 5 to 10 grams of freshly picked ripgut bromegrass (Bromus diandrus) blades (about 1 handful)
• Digital balance (scale)
• Mortar and pestle
• Distilled water
• 3 100-liter glass or plastic beakers
• 1 mL or 5 mL syringe
• Hydrogen peroxide
• 1 Paper towel square (for filtration)
• Glass test tubes
• Test tube rack or holder
• Small plastic ruler
• Safety glasses

Depending on which environmental factor you choose to investigate, some of the following items will be needed for your experiment:

• Acid solutions with pH values between 2 and 6
• Alkaline solutions with a pH between 8 and 12
• pH test strips
• Ice
• Large plastic beaker (for ice bath)
• Hot water
• Large plastic beaker (for hot water bath)
• Thermometers

Procedure

This part will be determined by the students conducting the experiment. For an overview of the general scientific experimentation and research process, see the flow diagram below. Use the worksheet that follows to write out in detail the hypothesis you are seeking to test, the materials you will use, and the steps you will follow to conduct your experiment.

Enzyme Lab Worksheet

Hypothesis: If changing the temperature level affects how the enzymes function, then increasing the temperature of the ripgut brome grass juice and peroxide will speed up the reaction, while decreasing the temperature will slow the reaction compared to the room temperature control.

Independent Variable: The temperature

Dependent Variable: The height of the foam in cm. 

Controlled Variables: Grass juice and water.

Justification of hypothesis: We think this because when the enzymes come into contact will different temperatures then the enzymes will either speed up or slow down depending on the water temperature.

Why did you choose this as your hypothesis?

We wanted to observe the overall reaction of the temperature differences that would either speed up or slow down the process of the catalyst. 

Materials (Your Team’s Experiment):

• 8.62 ml grams of grass
• 30  milliliters of water
• Test tubes
• Test rack 
• Paper towels 
• Guacamole thing (mortar and pestle)
• Syringe 
• Thermometer 
• Ruler

Procedure: Our group will be mixing a certain amount of distilled water and grass to make grass juice. We will then add different temperature mixtures to see whether the reaction goes faster or slower, and what the reaction is. 

Summary: 

     For our experiment we put the grass juice in the water and overall concluded that the temperature does affect the way the enzymes work. We know this because during our experiment we tested three different temperatures of water. This data showed that the room temperature water went the slowest in terms of how fast the bubbles appeared. While the cold slowed down our reaction time of the bubbles compared to the heated peroxide. Lastly, the fastest was the heated water which dramatically speed up the reaction time of the bubbles. 

Detailed Steps:

     We started our experiment by grinding up 8.62 grams of grass and in total added 30 milliliters of water to the grass. By mashing the two together in a mortar and pestle it formed a juice substance as (we referred to it as grass juice). Next we lined up 9 test tubes on a rack, having the room temperature, cold, and heated water each grouped in one section by temperature. After we put approximately 2 milliliters of grass juice  and 1 milliliter of hydrogen peroxide into each test tube. As we put the hydrogen peroxide in the cold temperature test tubes we watched the reaction. At 0 degrees celsius, 30 seconds in the foam/bubbles in the test tube had grown 0.2 centimeters. After 60 seconds at 0 degrees celsius the bubbles/foam moved up 0.8 centimeters, and after 90 seconds 1 centimeter. Lastly after 120 seconds (2minutes) the foam/bubbles came up to 1.5 centimeters. Next we tried the room temperature water (24 degrees Celsius). As we out the hydrogen peroxide into the test tube we began to watch the bubbles/foam. We observed the reaction from the room temperature test tubes and it showed that after 30 seconds the foam/bubbles was at 0.3 centimeters. Next after 60 seconds it was grown 0.5 centimeters, and after 90 seconds it had moved 1 centimeter. Finally after 120 seconds (2 minutes) it had moved to 1.5 centimeters. The last test we did was with the heated water; the temperature from that was 40 degrees celsius. For our first test after dumping the peroxide in we turned on the watch and watched it move up 0.5 centimeters. Soon 60 seconds passed and we watch is go up 1 centimeter, and after 90 seconds it had gone up 2 centimeters. In closing at 120 seconds (2 minutes) it had gone up to 2.3 centimeters. After we had gotten all of our data from the experiment we washed out all of the materials we had used for the lab.

Data and Results:

(This section should include at least one graph!)

	24 Degrees Celsius	0 Degrees Celsius	40 Degrees Celsius
30 seconds	0.3 cm	0.2 cm	0.5 cm
60 seconds	0.5 cm	0.8 cm	1 cm
90 seconds	1 cm	1 cm	2 cm
120 seconds	1.5 cm	1.5 cm	2.3 cm
max	4.5cm	4cm	7cm

https://drive.google.com/drive/folders/1V4TXAwrsEv1NV1UG2E-fR3BU6lnqodcD

Conclusions:

Overall, the heated peroxide mixed with the grass juice created foam faster rather than the room temperature peroxide and the cold peroxide. The cold peroxide mixed with the grass juice had a relatively same reaction rate as the room temperature, but the room temperature succeeded the colder peroxide after 2 minutes, so we can conclude that the cooler the temperature the slower the reaction will be.

 To start, the heated peroxide was to reach 7 cm, which was the tallest amount of foam. The heated hydrogen peroxide mixed with the grass juice had increased an average of 0.575 cm per 30 seconds.  The heated hydrogen peroxide sped up the reaction, we can tell this from the fact that more foam was able to form faster over the given amount of time. 

The room temperature experiment ( our control ) reached a maximum foam height of 5 cm and had an average reaction rate of 0.56 cm per 30 seconds.  

The cold hydrogen peroxide reached up to 4 cm. The average rate per 30 seconds for the cooled peroxide mixed with the grass juice was 0.4 cm per 30 seconds. The cooled hydrogen peroxide slowed down the reaction, we can tell this because the average rate of reaction is slower than the room temperature and the greatest height of the reaction is lower. 

  In closure, our experiment data has shown that when water is heated, cold, or just at room temperature, the temperature has an affect on how the enzymes are performing their job and how fast and how much of a reaction will occur.  When increasing the temperature the enzyme, reaction rate increases. When decreasing the temperature the enzyme, reaction rate will mildly decreases. We know that if we were to increase the temperature too much the enzyme will be denatured, but in this experiment we know that the enzyme was not denatured at 40 degrees celsius, but would most likely become denatured if we were to increase the temperature any more. 

Post Assignment #4: Audrey Malone

     Some abiotic factors that our broccoli plants are by our rocks, dirt, and the fence that lines the garden bed. The broccoli plants depend on dirt due to the fact that dirt has nutrients that the plants depend on for survival. Another abiotic factor that is important is water. Plants rely on water for survival because water is crucial for photosyntheis that creates energy that the plants rely on to survive . Lastly the fence is used to keep other things out of the garden, so the broccoli plants don't get stepped on by humans. Some biotic factors that our broccoli plants rely on are worms. Worms are important because they decompose dead plants and animals giving nutrients back into the soil. After the plants absorb the nutrients in the soil helping plants grow. Another biotic factor are pollinators, pollinators are helpful because when the broccoli begins to flower then, the pollen from other plants will spread on the broccoli plant so it will blossom.
     I know that our broccoli plants are engaged in competition with weeds. We know this because they are competing for water and nutrients in the soil. The winner is decided through these by competitions by which plant lives and which plant dies. The determination is complicated because sometimes a plant can continue to grow even if it's losing nutrients or the plant could continue to grow, but end up being very small and malnourished. Another type of relationship that occurs with the broccoli is parasitism. This occurs if a slug is eating the leaves of the broccoli plant. Therefore the broccoli plant is getting nothing out of the relationship making it parasitism.
     Lastly our broccoli plant is involved in secondary succession. It seems like a primary producer(autotroph) because the broccoli plant can produce it's own food by using photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is based on water and  carbon dioxide . It is also secondary succession because the dirt and other plants were already growing in that ecosystem making it secondary succession. All in all I hope our broccoli plants continue to grow.

Post Assignment#3: Audrey Malone

     Our small broccoli plants have changed throughout time in many different ways. For example they have grown in the sense that they have gained some bigger leaves and grown a little taller. Although they haven't changed too much in their size their leaves have gained some darker shades of green on their leaves. Also physically they have thicker stems and will continue to grow. We now have a total of two healthy broccoli plants living in the garden.
     To begin our plants take part in the water cycle because as we water our plants they absorb the water from in the roots and preform transpiration. Also they can get water from other places for example they can get water from rain. Although there has not been much although that is a possibility. Also they could get water from other people who have watered the broccoli. Overall water is important to the plants because they use the water to do photosynthesis. Although the broccoli can also collect water from the leaves of the plants which drip down into the soil and the plants are able to absorb the water taken in by the roots, and broccoli can collect water from being watered by humans as well.
     Next the plants contribute to the carbon cycle by practicing photosynthesis. Where they take in the carbon dioxide and use the carbon for glycerol which later becomes ATP and a by product of this process is oxygen which humans use to breathe. Lastly our plants are helping the nitrogen cycle because they take in nitrogen through the soil and use it for nutrients. Without plants in the ecosystem the carbon dioxide in the air would most likely pile up and become fatal to humans. An example is fossil fuels contributing carbon dioxide to the air, and because of that the air is polluted with the carbon dioxide becoming dangerous.
     Next, our broccoli plants take part in the nitrogen cycle everyday. The nitrogen cycle is important because it is part of amino acids. Plants play an important role by collecting nitrogen from the soil. Also when the broccoli plants die they will release nitrogen back into the soil when they decompose. Therefore the nitrogen will be recycled, so the nitrogen cycle can start again.
     All in all our broccoli plants contribute to not only just for food later on, but also now through the many cycles they participate in, and what they contribute to the environment. As you can see not only our broccoli plants, but all other plants are important to the ecosystem we have created in our garden.

Post assignment #3 : Elena

Over the course of the week our two little seedlings are growing up into healthy broccolis. So far one of them has grown pretty tall and has two stems that are attached. Both seedlings have grown a little thicker and a little taller. They have grown many leaves that are heart shaped, making it easy to tell them apart from weeds. The seedlings are a light green color. We hope that our little brocs will continue their growth to become healthy big broccolis.

Out plants participate in the movement of water in the biosphere by absorbing water through their roots. This process is called root uptake. Our seedling’s leaves also catch rain and the water droplets are evaporated via: transportation. The water that our plant absorbs helps it with photosynthesis, growing and developing. The water gives the plant nutrients to grow. This has allowed our plant to grow taller and bigger leaves.

Our plants participate in the movement of carbon in the biosphere by absorbing it through its leaves and using the carbon and water for photosynthesis. Our plant uses the carbon for photosynthesis to get the nutrients, which has allowed it to grow new leaves and get bigger. Usually plants will take in carbon dioxide but when plants die they loose all the carbon that they had stored and is released into the atmosphere.

Our plants participate in the Nitrogen cycle.  Bacteria in the soil converts the nitrogen to ammonia, the ammonia is then changed into nitrates which can then be taken up by the plants. The plants have gotten to grow bigger stems and bigger leaves which are taking to a heart shape. After the plant has absorbed the ammonium and nitrates using it for nutrients a process called ammonification happens. Bacteria in the soil will convert the nitrogen nutrients back into ammonia, from there bacteria will also convert the ammonia to nitrogen gas, this process is called denitrification. 

Post assignment #4 : Elena

Some abiotic factors that my plant depends on is water, sunlight, carbon dioxide, dirt, and nitrogen. A plant needs soil to grow in as well as get nutrients from it. Our plant needs water, sunlight, and carbon dioxide for photosynthesis, and a plant needs nitrogen for nutrients.  My plant also depends on some biotic factors.  Some of those biotic factors being other plants that compete with my plant for space, and water, bacteria which turns nitrogen into ammonia for our plant to absorb as nutrients, and bugs that might land on or even eat our plant.  

I know that my plants are engaged in competition with other plants for space in the soil, nutrients, sunlight, and water because other plants may be growing faster than mine. Or plants will start growing up for more sunlight rather than out. 

With the struggle of competition winners and losers are determined by what plants survive and grow nice and tall and healthy. And by what plants die or are stunted. Not always is it clear to see what plants “win” or “ lose”. Sometimes all the plants are genuinely similar.  Different plants grow to different standards.  It is hard to say who won or lost if you are comparing multiple species.  But in competition you can have one plant that grew taller and another plant that grew wider and spread out more.  There are different characteristics of a plant that shows that both won but in different categories. The taller one got more sunlight, and the more spread out one managed to get more water and nutrients from the soil. 

Not only do plants interact with each other, bacteria also has a relationship with plants.  In the soil the bacteria turns the nitrogen into ammonia and then into nitrates which the plant then uses for nutrients. 

In the garden there seems to be a secondary succession. There was a disturbance in the ecosystem, taking the weeds out of the area and shifting the soil. Then new life started growing from the soil.

Post Assignment #4 - Alia Latimer

There are several abiotic factors that contribute to our plants survival, and generally help it thrive. Many of these factors are aspects that make up the climate, such as the perception the plant receives as part of the water cycle. This can be received through natural means, such as rain or a river, but in our case it mostly comes through us watering our plants. Another would be the temperature, our plants being affected by how hot or cold the area is. 

One of the easiest ways I know that our plants are involved in competition is the fact that we have to weed the area fairly frequently. Before we started using the area there were lots of grass, and other volunteer plants, and even after we weeded the area, we still have to weed the area every couple days to keep other plants from sprouting in our little plot. So while our little plants may not have much competition because of our teams intervention, they still must compete to get the most water, space and sunlight.

In this sort of environment the winners and looses are determined by who gets to survive. Our plants are currently the winners, and the weeds that we have torn up are the looses. Of course it can be hard to know for sure who exactly wins, because often both organisms are injured or effected in some way. There also could be some unintended consequences, like the soil being diseased and that eventually killing all the plants that grow there, and spreading it to the others in that species.

While we can't see too much interaction, we have found evidence in the form of a worm. The worm would be These worms convert the organic material into the soil that the plant uses to grow up big and strong. There is also evidence of a predator prey relationship in the fact that we found a bite mark in one of the leaves. Obviously our little plants have been preyed on by some sort of insect, and there for has a relationship to the insect.

Since the soil still remains, there is definitely no primary secession, however there still is secondary secession at play. While there may have been no natural disaster, we did uproot the majority of the plant life that was living that area. We then brought in a new species that has been populating the area, along with some of the previous species that were inhabiting the area.

Post Assignment #3 - Alia Latimer

Over all our little seedlings haven't changed much. While it is true that their leaves have gotten longer, their stalks have gotten bigger, and just their overall size has increased there hasn't been much other change. It is important to note that the leaves have started to change in shape, and there are more leaves, that is where the changes stop. I do think that there will be more changes t occur, but currently they remain a pale green color.

In terms of the water cycle our little plants interact with it in the same way i assume most plants do. Obviously they are taking in the water that we give them and using it to grow and thrive, which then goes back into the environment through transpiration. There is also the less direct interaction of when the morning dew collects on the leaves on the plants, evaporation off later in the day, or being used by an insect or animal as a source of water. The plants also receive water on occasion from rain, which despite being scarce would have still been an interaction with the water cycle. These interactions have helped our broccoli to thrive and grow. As we saw in a previous attempt the water is essential to the growth of the plant throughout it's life, and especially in the earliest stages. Water is essential for all life and these little plants are not exception, which is why we have to make sure that they are constantly engaged in the water cycle through receiving water.

Plants as a variety have one of the most essential parts in the carbon cycle, which is recycling the carbon into oxygen. Our broccoli are responsible for taking in the carbon put out into the atmosphere by fires, human machinery, and animal respiration, and turn it back into breathable oxygen. They store up this carbon and use it for growing, only returning the carbon back to the earth through being burned, being eaten, or dying. Obviously our plants have been using the carbon to grow, since they have been getting larger slowly.

Plants again have a similar niche in the nitrogen cycle that they do in the carbon cycle. After bacteria  breaks down the nitrogen from the air into the soil, the plants use it to grow through assimilation. The nitrogen is then passed from the plants into the natural flow of energy in the food chain. So obviously as the plants live in the soil they will be taking in nitrogen, and when insects or humans eat them they will be passing it on.

Post assignment #4: Duaa Khan

The abiotic factors that affect our plant are sunlight, climate/weather, and the amount of space. Some biotic factors that affect our plants includes, parasites, competition, and predators. When visiting the garden this past week, I noticed weeds that were around our plants. Clearly, our plants did not have much space to grow to due to the competition and lack of room. Not only that, but I noticed several ants on the plants slowly eating away our leaves as it has small punctures. An example of abiotic factor is changing weather. As it begins to touch the very peak of winter, the weather has become quite chilly. Since the temperature will decrease, our plants will have to adapt to the upcoming weather.

My plant is involved with competition mainly because there are multiple weeds that grew incredibly close to my plant, as it is consuming much of the sunlight and space. As you pluck out weeds they soon regrow as they tend to reproduce rapidly. Because the weed is also consuming the sunlight and taking up the space, it is essentially negatively impacting our pants.

Through the aspect of competition, the “losers” and “winners” are chosen by the one who is successfully able to sustain its life. Sometimes however, it is not always clear as to who is winning. This is because it could become hard to differentiate the overall appearance of a plant. Seemingly, they might look just as same like they both look somewhat healthy. Not only that but, plants will adapt to the circumstances given. As the plant struggles for its life, it will try to adapt to the scenario to possibly survive.

Most plants get the nitrogen they need to grow from the soils or water in which they live. Animals get the nitrogen they need by eating plants or other animals that contain nitrogen. When organisms die, their bodies decompose bringing the nitrogen into soil on land or into ocean water. Bacteria alter the nitrogen into a form that plants are able to use. Other types of bacteria are able to change nitrogen dissolved in waterways into a form that allows it to return to the atmosphere.

In our garden, secondary succession has been taking place. This is because students decided to create a garden from the dead space on campus. With this, they added soil already to help the pants that will be planted there grow.  Before our plants, there were other various seedlings that were removed after they had died. The removal of as to make room for our plants. The garden boxes were made in an area that had soil, it just was not the ideal soil for most plants to grow and thrive. Therefore not many plants were able to thrive there until people made a small garden. This rapidly sped up the process of succession, but it still evolved from dirt to a nice garden where plants are finally able to thrive.

Post Assignment #3: Duaa Khan

During the past week, our miniature broccolis are growing healthy as three seedlings have begun to sprout. They have a short light green stem with heart-shaped leaves. On each plant, there are two leaves on them as they are continuing to be much more healthy. 

Plants contribute greatly to the water cycle because of the processes they use to absorb and release energy. Unlike animals, which get their energy from food, plants convert sunlight into usable energy through photosynthesis. Plants also absorb nutrients and water through their roots. When a plant absorbs water, it travels throughout its stems and its leaves. Needed for photosynthesis, plants cannot get the energy they need from the sun without water. During photosynthesis, some excess water evaporates from the surface of the leaves, becoming water vapor. The water vapor in the process of transpiration travels into the atmosphere and becomes part of the water cycle.

The processes of photosynthesis and respiration are the basis of the carbon cycle. In photosynthesis, plants use energy from the sun and carbon dioxide (CO2) gas from the atmosphere to create carbohydrates (sugars) and oxygen (O2). Carbohydrates are then stored in their biomass (living parts, such as leaves, stems, and roots) as plants live and grow. Stored carbohydrates can be used as energy. To use the energy, carbohydrates need to be broken down in respiration and CO2 is released back into the atmosphere. Also, plants that die and are buried may turn into fossil fuels made of carbon like coal and oil over millions of years. When humans burn fossil fuels, most carbon enters the atmosphere as carbon dioxide.

In the nitrogen cycle, plants receive the components of the "fixed" nitrogen using nitrates in the soil to provide the nutrients they need. Plants absorb ammonium and nitrate during the assimilation process, after which they are converted into nitrogen-containing organic molecules, such as amino acids and DNA. When nitrogen nutrients have served their purpose in plants and animals, specialized decomposing bacteria will start a process called ammonification, to convert them back into ammonia and water-soluble ammonium salts. After the nutrients are converted back into ammonia, anaerobic bacteria will convert them back into nitrogen gas, during a process called denitrification. Finally, nitrogen is released into the atmosphere again. The whole process starts over after release.

Story of the seed timeline

We first planted the seeds
Then the next couple of days the 2 control plants germinated
The germinated plants kept growing the following days
The other plants didn’t grow at all over the course of time.












https://www.quickcrop.ie/learning/plant/brocolli-calabrese

Story of the Seed- Lab Report

Introduction
In our project scenario of story of the seed we hypothesized that different acidity levels would affect the germination and growth of broccoli seeds. As well as, In our indoor experiment for the Story of The Seed, we tested broccoli with the usage of different amounts of various vinegars which included malt and apple cider along with that, we added different measure of vinegar. For both the water and vinegars the different measures are 1/2, 1/4 and full.  In our project we tested the hypothesis of, if different acidity levels affect the growth of plants, then giving vinegar to broccoli will affect the growth and germination of the broccoli seeds.  To test this hypothesis we watered broccoli seeds with different levels of malt and apple cider vinegar.  We also watered 3 broccoli seeds with only water for our constant variable. The overall result was that the broccoli that only had water was able to germinate. The vinegars had essentially sterilized the growth of the broccoli.

Methods 

     To start our project the materials you will need will be broccoli seeds, apple cider vinegar, malt vinegar, water, beakers, a measuring cup, and scale. Our project started by taking 15 planter pots in each pot we put approximately the same amount of dirt in each pot, and we measured it out by using the scale. After, we planted 3 broccoli seeds in each pot. From there we labeled each pot by the type of liquid we put into each pot. Therefore the first three pots were labeled water in yellow sticky notes. The pots with water were our control group. The next group was the malt vinegar group. Each pot was labeled with malt vinegar, and how much vinegar was put into each pot, so for the first one we put 100 percent malt vinegar. The next pot was 50 percent malt vinegar and 50 percent water. After the pot was 25 percent malt vinegar, and the rest being 75 percent water. The same goes for the apple cider vinegar the first pot 100 percent apple cider vinegar. The next 50 percent apple cider vinegar and the other 50 percent water. The last pot being 25 percent apple cider vinegar, and 75 percent vinegar. We watered the plants a total of 1 inches of liquid, or 25.4 millimeters of liquid After we labeled all the pots and marked them correctly according to how much vinegar, water, and most importantly what type of vinegar it was. We watered the broccoli plants once a week.  After we waited to see how long it would take for the broccoli to grow. After 5 days our first broccoli grew. The first sprouted was from the control group. After about two weeks we were able to conclude the data from the experiment.

Results and Data Analyses
After 13 days, watering the plants every other day, and monitoring them we concluded that vinegar being added or substituted for water lowered the germination rate significantly. Not only did none of the seeds who received straight vinegar germinate, but only 2/6 of the control group germinated. It is not impossible that the plants needed more time, but unlikely.

Conclusions 

     In conclusion through our experiment 2 out of the 15 seeds we planted grew. The two plants that grew were from the control group. We can conclude that the control group was much healthier. Our total was 2/30 seeds germinating, which sends pretty clear results about the detrimental effect the vinegar had on the germination process.   

 In conclusion through our experiment 2 out of the 15 seeds we planted grew. The two plants that grew were from the control group. This shows that water is the best living conditions that broccoli can live in. Although since only two seeds sprouted out of three from the control group at the same time we can also conclude that further research should be done. We could achieve this by extending the period of time for the broccoli to grow, or we could wait until each broccoli plant is completely grown , and taste how each plant tastes, so we can determine which one grew better and tastes better. Also from our experiment we feel that if we had more of a broader time frame we could make distinct conclusions to our experiment. For example we could have waited until each plant grew and then make conclusions based on the height of each plant, and the width of each plant to further show which plants were growing better. Although I do think that we can still draw the conclusion that because 2 out of our 15 plants grew we can safely say that broccoli grows best in water rather than in malt vinegar, or apple cider vinegar.

     

Food Inc. Question Essay - Duaa Khan

Food Inc.
The Dollar Menu
Should access to healthy food be a right for everyone?

It is incredibly vital that anyone and everyone should be able to access healthy foods without any complications holding them back. We should absolutely be able to acquire nutritious foods on the tip of our fingers. Gratifying nutrition is an essential element of leading a full on healthy lifestyle. Additionally, healthy foods will be able to help reduce your risk of chronic diseases (like heart disease and various cancers). Which ultimately expands our lifespan. Along with physical activity, your diet can help you reach and maintain a healthy weight. So that we stay fit as much as we possibly can with the help of a well-balanced diet. Therefore, having access to healthy foods is a must and should be provided in all grocery stores no matter the cost. Clearly there should be no compromise to our health and luscious vegetables and fruits should be provided without the extent of using preservatives which over all wrecks our health. 

First off, eating healthy is how we get all of our mandatory nourishments in. Eating the most nutritious foods allows us to get all of our vitamins in such as vitamins A, C, D, E and more. They help us to recover from injuries and over all they make our bodies much more strong in a way of rebuilding muscle or mending a broken bone. If we don’t eat any of these minerals and vitamins our body become more and more weak and it progress to finally crumble. We need to take this into account and ultimately put our health first rather than our taste buds with can live without junk food. Even for people at a healthy weight, a poor diet is associated with major health risks that can cause illness and even death. These include heart disease, hypertension (high blood pressure), type 2 diabetes, osteoporosis, and certain types of cancer. By making smart food choices, you can help protect yourself from these health problems.

Second of all, having a well balanced diet allows for a variety of horrid diseases to become less fatal. Having a healthy diet will essentially become a sheiks from the hazardous illnesses. Clearly stated from the perspective of Medical News Today, “Heart attacks and colon cancer are two of the most reported. 10-16% of cases of breast and colon cancer and heart attacks are said to be caused by obesity.” This is critically vital because eating a diet rich in vegetables and fruits as part of an overall healthy diet may reduce risk for heart disease, including heart attack and stroke. Eating foods such as vegetables that are lower in calories per cup instead of some other higher-calorie food may be useful in helping to lower calorie intake. Of course, with the help of physical activities, it it incredibly mandatory that we take our diets seriously as it can absolutely affect our lifespan. 

However, some may people should not be able to have the access to healthy food. This is because food processors want people to buy cheap food which is not all healthy but is the only solution. In order to make more money, they trick consumers into thinking the processed food is actually healthy. In which it clearly isn’t as the meat or vegetables/fruits have been affected by preservatives and are GMO.

As a final point, eating wholesome foods and having a balanced diets allows for energy you need to keep active throughout the day. —that can help. More and more research shows these diets are heart protective and help to promote healthy eating overall, including how we choose to cook and prepare our foods. Nutrients you need for growth and repair, helping you to stay strong and healthy and help to prevent diet-related illness, such as some cancers. Eating a healthy diet that includes lots of fruit, vegetables, whole grains and a moderate amount of unsaturated fats, meat and dairy can help you maintain a steady weight. Having a good variety of these foods every day leaves less room for foods that are high in fat and sugar - a leading cause of weight gain.

Food Inc. - Audrey Malone

Animals Should Have a Right to a Quality of Life

By Audrey Malone

   In the film Food Inc. It asked the focus question: Do animals deserve to have the right to a quality of life? I believe animals should because for years, animals have been tortured in the food industry. They have been treated like an object that can just be thrown around from the brutal slaughter house to the conveyor belts. Animals that are stuck in these food industry ways have no way of escaping and are being abused everyday. Therefore because animals are living creatures and can feel pain, animals should be able to have a certain humane quality of life. They deserve a certain quality of life because they can feel pain and are alive, the food industry abuses animals, and supporting local farmers that produce meat can help give those animals a better life before slaughter.

     To begin, animals like most all living creatures can feel pain. It states in the article Animals Can Feel Pain A Biologist Explains How we Know, “In the first, nerves in the skin sense something harmful, and communicate that information to the spinal cord… [and] there, motor neurons activate movements that make us rapidly jerk away from the threat. This is the physical recognition of harm — called ‘nociception.’ And nearly all animals, even those with very simple nervous systems, experience it.” This quote shows that because animals can feel pain, and with the cruel ways that humans slaughter animals in warehouses for food, as other living creatures we should try to minimize that pain for them. Although we can’t stop people from eating meat we should try our best to give the animals that we are eating the best possible life before slaughter.

     The next, the way animals are slaughtered in slaughterhouses are not ethnically correct. For example in the article This is What Humane Slaughter Looks Like. Is it Good Enough? It states that, “[in]...the 1958 Humane Slaughter Act, intended to prevent the "needless suffering” of livestock during slaughter.” This shows that although a law was passed to help animals many of the ways that animals are slaughtered by, may not abide to these rules. Therefore the food industries killing methods need to be more closely monitored. To prove this is true it states in the article Animal Cruelty is The Price we Pay for Cheap Meat that, “...no training could prepare her(Sarah)  for the sensory assault of 10,000 pigs in close quarters: the stench of their shit, piled three feet high in the slanted trenches below; the blood on sows’ snouts cut by cages so tight they can’t turn around or lie sideways; the racking cries of broken-legged pigs, hauled into alleys by dead-eyed workers and left there to die of exposure.” This quotes shows that one of the workers Sarah who worked in one food industry was shocked to discover the cruel way these animals in this case pigs were being treated while being slaughtered. This quote also shows how corrupt some of these food industrys can be if left looked over. 

     After, although it may seem all bad news for animals victim to certain areas of the food industry, there's a way to help. For example, supporting local farmers, and researching where you buy meat from is a helpful, and easy way to not only support killing animals in a humane fashion, but also supporting local farmers. It states in the article 3 Reasons to Shop Local Farmers, “Locally grown food is good for the environment and for sustainability because good farmers ensure that the land is well kept with minimal, if any, usage of chemicals and fertilizers. These practices can sequester carbon, and they can also help ensure proper natural habitats for wildlife.” This quote shows the benefits, and the importance of shopping local. Shopping local has great benefits for the person eating the food, and gives animals a better more fulfilling life.

     All in all, animals deserve to have a good life before slaughter, as much as any other living creature does because the food industry abuses them, they are still living animals that can feel pain, and by shopping local it supports the animals as much as it supports us. Animals, although humans may see their lives less valuable to our own they are still living breathing animals and deserve a healthy life before slaughter. We as humans should be thankful in what the animals bring to us, so let’s show them some respect on our part and truly show them how important they really are.

Bibliography 

https://www.vox.com/science-and-health/2017/1/23/14325172/animals-feel-pain-biologist

https://modernfarmer.com/2013/04/this-is-what-humane-slaughter-looks-like-is-it-good-enough/

https://www.rollingstone.com/interactive/feature-belly-beast-meat-factory-farms-animal-activists/

https://humanefacts.org/humane-slaughter/

https://www.nutiva.com/kitchen/3-reasons-to-shop-local-support-farmers/

https://www.independentwestand.org/what-happens-when-you-shop-local/