121 Plus 9 Biology Experiments

What is the effect of gravity force on plants? Does it affect the growth of a plant?Things Required:House plantBooks Directions:Lie the pot on its side on the books. Observe the position of the stem and leaves for one week.This Is What Happens:The stem and leaves turn upward.Science Behind It:Plants contain a chemical called auxin. Auxin […]

The purpose of this simple and easy experiment is to determine the direction of winding plants.Things Required:Glass of growing beans from Experiment Growing Beans4 pencilsMasking tape Directions:Tape the pencils to the outside of the glass in front of each plant. Have as much of the pencil as possible sticking above the glass. Allow the plant

Plants draw water from the earth by osmosis. And food gets into our cells by osmosis. What is osmosis and what does it have to do with cooking?Things Required:3 large raw potato cubes of the same size3 glasses of waterA rulerSalt Directions:Put each cube into a glass of water. To glass number 1, add a

Does it matter the way you plant the seeds? Check it out for yourself.Things Required:4 pinto beansPaper towelingMasking tapeOne drinking glassMarking pen Directions:Fold a sheet of paper towelling, and line the inside of the glass with it. The wad sheets of paper towelling and stuff them into the glass to hold the paper lining tightly

In this experiment you will dissect a bean, identify the parts and learn the function of each part.Things Required:10 to 12 pinto beansJarPaper towelling Directions:Inspect a dry bean and find these parts: micropyle, hilum and seed coat. Place the beans in the jar and cover with water. Allow the jar to sit in the refrigerator

You wouldn’t want to eat starchy vegetables such as potatoes and yams unless you cooked them. You need heat to break the cell walls, so the potatoes can be digested.Water boils at 212°F (100°C). Your oven can reach temperatures up to 500°F. Which method of cooking is faster-boiling or baking? Find out.Things Required:A pot of

This neat experiment demonstrates the independence of plants.Things Required:1-gallon (4-litre) jar with a large mouth and lidSmall pot plantDirections:Moisten the soil of the plant. Place the entire plant, pot and all, inside the gallon jar. Close the jar with its lid. Place the jar somewhere that receives sunlight for part of the day.Leave the jar

What is starch? It’s what people sometimes add when they wash shirts and it is an ingredient in many medicines. But it’s also an important food!Plants make starch from sugar molecules in order to store food for winter. Plants also use starch to feed seedlings or new sprouts. The starch is stored in the seeds

Purpose : to separate and identify colour pigments in leaves.Things Required:Alcohol green leafCoffee filterPencilBaby food jarRuler Directions:Place the leaf, top side down, on the edge of the coffee filter. Rub the pencil lead back and forth ten times over the leaf about one half inch (13 mm) from the edge of the paper. Rotate the

Cultivated since prehistoric times, the onion has a number of varieties. The most familiar are the yellow and red onions that are very strong and can make people cry if they try to slice them without knowing how to handle them. Things Required:2 onionsRunning waterA knifeDirections:Peel both onions. Slice one under water. Slice the other

All plants and animals exhale carbon dioxide. This is shown here in this easy experiment.Things Required:Distilled water1 quart (1 litre) of purple cabbage indicator (see preparation instructions below)Sprig of Elodea or other water plant (found at pet store)3 pint (500 ml) jars with lidsStrawAluminium foilDirections:Making the Purple Cabbage IndicatorCut a head of purple cabbage into

People have been eating lettuce since ancient times. Most of the time, we eat these leaves raw in salads, though we can cook them in a variety of ways-even into soup.But lettuce has to be treated right!Things Required:2 lettuce leaves2 bowlsDirections:Tear one of the leaves into bite-size pieces and place them in a bowl.Leave the

Do differences in the sizes of leaves affect the rate of evaporation? Find out.Things Required:3 paper towel sheetsWaxed paperCookie baking sheet Directions:Dampen the paper towel sheets with water. They should be wet, but not dripping. Lie one paper towel flat on the baking sheet. Roll up a second paper towel and place it next to

What’s the best way to keep carrots, beets and other leafy root vegetables fresh and tasty?Things Required:2 carrots with top leaves2 carrots with top leaves removed4 plastic bags big enough to store the carrots Directions:Wrap one of the carrots with leaves in a plastic bag that has air holes punched in it. Wrap one carrot

This simple experiment demonstrates transpiration, the loss of water from leaves.Things Required:Growing plantPlastic sandwich bagTape (cellophane)Directions:Place the sandwich bag over one leaf. Secure the bag to the stem with the tape. Place the plant in sunlight for two to three hours.Observe the inside of the bag. This Is What Happens:The droplets of water collect on