Investigation 2

							 2.1 Practical
Investigation
         Practical Investigation Ideas
Micro-organisms
   Do different types of bacteria grow on different foods?
   What is the effect of temperature on the growth rate of bacteria?
   What factors affect the effectiveness of preservatives on the
    growth of bacterial colonies?
   Do bread yeast and wine yeast respond in the same way to
    ethanol?
   What is the effect on the density of soil bacteria of incorporating
    different types of organic matter into soil?
   Investigate succession on a piece of bread
         Practical Investigation Ideas
Plants
   What factors affect the germination of sunflower seeds?
   What is the effect of wavelength of light on plant growth?
   What is the effect of wavelength of light on the rate of
    photosynthesis?
   What is the effect of light colour on the growth of seedlings?
   What is the effect of different mineral nutrients on seedling
    growth?
   What is the effect of different brands and types of fertilisers on
    seedling growth?
   What is the effect of salt tolerance on seed germination?
   What is the effect of wind (none, intermittent, constant) on plant
    growth?
         Practical Investigation Ideas
   Does the effectiveness of different brands of weed killer vary?
   Is weed control dependent on the concentration of the
    weedicide?
   Does planting depth affect the rate of germination in clover and
    pea seeds?
   Does soil type affect the germination of clover and pea seeds ?
   Does soil type affect the formation of roots on geranium
    cuttings?
   Is hormone rooting powder effective in promoting the rooting
    of cuttings?
   Does temperature affect germination of clover seeds?
   Investigate the distribution of lawn species in the sun and in the
    shade
         Practical Investigation Ideas
Cell chemistry
   Rate of enzyme action at different temperatures
Transport
   Osmoregulation in Nereis sp.
   To measure the heat beat of Daphnia at different temperatures
   Compare the transpiration rate in different plants

Respiration
   The effect of temperature on the rate of anaerobic respiration of
    glucose by yeast
               Biological Concepts

   Enzyme activity
   Cell processes such as: photosynthesis, protein
    synthesis, cellular respiration, mitosis…
   Surface area versus volume ratio
   Transport: diffusion, osmosis, active transport
   Patterns and interrelationships in populations and
    communities
   Transport in plants and animals
                     In the Past…
   To see if different storage places have an effect on the sucrose
    concentration in potatoes
   To determine whether the sucrose concentration varies between
    different root vegetables.
   To find which river in the Nelson region has the highest density
    of micro invertebrates
   To find out what effect the texture of soil has on seed
    germination
   To find out, if the flow rate in a steam has an effect on the
    diversity and the abundance of bacteria and fungi found in the
    stream
   Does the temperature of sodium hydroxide have an effect on the
    rate of diffusion into agar?