The Effects of Mouthwash on Pea Seeds Germination Essay Example for Free

The Effects of Mouthwash on Pea Seeds Germination Essay Purpose: The purpose of the pea seeds germination lab is to determine whether pea seeds will sprout with the absence of a complete water solution and replaced by Listerine Mouthwash. Water is the most basic and useful, natural resources for all living things. Water is extremely responsible for carrying all life functions within the cell. Life cannot exist on earth without the presence of water. In this lab we will investigate to see if seeds can germinate with a substance which its inactive ingredient is water. Since seeds require water in order for its embryo to rise up, one may conclude that mouthwash which contains a small regiment of water molecules can indeed provide for the environment of seed germination. One concept that will also be determined is whether a dormant seed can sprout under a fairly good temperature, the right amount of oxygen, and a mouthwash solution. In this lab, the experiment will distinguish whether a seed would sprout meeting only some of its requirements. Another purpose that will be examined is the mutual effects of germinating seeds in mouthwash. The seeds’ tendency to respond to their environment will also be put into account. The discovery of how seeds will react in a water solution and a mouthwash solution (shape and color) will definitely be seen throughout the experimental lab. To determine how the seed may change its shape or its color there must be thorough evaluations made upon the seed’s appearance. HYPOTHESIS: After examining some of the key aspects in which seeds must adhere to in order to go through the process of germination one can state a proposed idea that seeds will not sprout within a Listerine Mouthwash solution. After acknowledging the fact that pea seeds are very specific in their type of environment that they need to germinate, there is no way in which the seeds will sprout in abnormal conditions. The act of germinating seeds in mouthwash will cause the seeds to remain or become dormant, the seed’s resting stage. In a more detailed description of why mouthwash would not be the best solution for the seed to absorb during the process of seed germination, is that the chemicals found in mouthwash like menthol, methyl salicylate, and etc. can cause harmful effects on the seed’s ability to sprout. These harsh chemical reactants can produce havoc within the cell’s interior. Mouthwash may also cause the endosperm to remain inside the seed which will make the seed very resistant to germinate. METHODS/PROCEDURES: In the beginning of the experiment, pea seeds were used in order to perform the experiment. It was extremely important to acquire good, dry, and viable seeds so the process of germination could occur. A handful of these healthy seeds worked best in assisting the experiment. The seeds ability to germinate was a vital information needed to determine the outcome of the experiment. The second step of the experiment was to soak the seeds in water overnight. This action was made to prepare the seeds for germination and making them more softer and less rigid. The seeds were placed in a bowl and were covered by tin foil. It was set up on the refrigerator to minimize any outside interference that may come to it. After a full night of absorbing the water, the seeds were ready to start the next stage. The third step that was taken was germinating the seeds. Two sets of paper towels were used to germinate the batch of seeds. The handful of seeds were split into two groups, one being the controlled group and the other being the experimental group. One of the paper towels were soaked in 3 tablespoons of water and the other was soaked in 3 tablespoons of Listerine Mouthwash. The amount of each solution remained the same in order to have a controlled experiment in which any changes that occurred in the dependent variable could be traced by only the independent variable. Having different measurements of quantity can affect the outcome. To make sure that a group of seeds did not have a difference in the amount of solution added, measuring them was very vital. The seeds that were labeled as the control treatments were placed on the towel soaked in H2O. The second batch of seeds labeled as the experimental group was placed on the towel soaked in mouthwash. Then, after that, the two towels with the seeds in it were folded and placed in separate zip-lock bags. The two zip lock bags sat on the dresser of my room for weeks. Having the seeds in a nice and warm temperature is better than, having them in an extreme temperature range that would hurt the seeds tremendously (seeds are very particular in the kind of environment they are in). In the first six days, the number of seeds that sprouted was accounted for in each bag. Another problem I accounted was knowing if all the seeds remained in the â€Å"seed sandwich†. Perhaps one seed could have dropped to the floor. To overcome this problem, I had to count and make sure that the amount of seeds were still there from the previous day. This was the entire procedure conducted. OBSERVATIONS/DATA: Throughout the six days of experimentation, the two batches of seeds were showing extremely different outcomes. Their response toward the water solution was different from their response toward the mouthwash solution. The seeds that germinated with water responded positively. The seeds germinated in Listerine Mouthwash responded negatively. On day 1, the seeds in a water solution sprouted. Little hypocotyl structures emerged from the seed coat, which showed signs of germination. About a centimeter long, 21out of 27 seeds germinated with their little, tiny structures sticking out. At the edge of the hypocotyl was a thin leafy structure known as the radicle. The seeds germinated rather quickly in just a day. Unfortunately, the seeds found in the mouth wash solution did not sprout at all and still held its green, brownish color. On day 2, the seeds’ stems grew longer. Their radicles extended a little longer like over 1 cm. This time, 24 out of 27 seeds germinated. The seeds in the mouthwash solution did not sprout at all. None of the seeds showed any signs of germination. One thing was quite weird during my last trial. Signs of shedding appeared in the seeds found in the mouthwash solution. One seed seem to be stripping its coat off. This observation showed up in only one of the trials, therefore it probably happened by chance. Both groups of seeds received nearly the same amount of that specific solution, which showed that the controlled group did not get a greater advantage over the other group. On day 3,the stems grew longer in the controlled group and the same outcomes remained in the experimental group. On days 4, 5, and 6, the seed grew accordingly. Their radicles became even longer with their bright green appearance. The seeds were fully germinated and ready to be put in the soil to germinate.