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/