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BIOL10004 Biology of Cells and Organisms

Biology Practical 3 Report


Name: CHEE YUEN CHUNG
Prac Group: Group B Monday AM

Student No: 680116


Seat No: 89

Title:
Measuring Transpiration & the Effect of Environment
Introduction
Transpiration is the process of loss of water by evaporation from a plant , with most
of the water lost through leaf stomata when they are open for gas exchange, driven by the
energy from solar radiation.
Transpiration is a physical process and its rate is highly dependent on the
environment factors such as temperature, wind and humidity. A potometer is used for
measuring transpiration rate indirectly by measuring the level of water in the pipette falls.
The purpose of the experiment is to investigate the effect of the environmental
factors(air movement, heat and humidity) on the transpiration rate by using leafy shoots of
Brush Box (Lophostemon confertus). We hypothesise the leafy shoots in presence of wind
and at a higher temperature would have a higher transpiration rate than the leafy shoots in
standard laboratory conditions respectively while the leafy shoots in high humidity would
have a lower transpiration rate.
Materials and Methods: Refer to Biology Laboratory Workbook page/s P3-2
Results:

Results: 50 words
The volume of water transpired in each potometer are presented on the graph. The volume
of water transpired in standard laboratory conditions is 0.2ml while the volume of water
transpired in the presence of wind is 0.5ml in 40 minutes. Volume of water transpired in
windy condition is higher.

Discussion: 250 words


Our results supported our hypothesis that the rate of transpiration is higher in the leafy
shoots which exposed to wind than the leafy shoots in standard laboratory conditions. The
rate of transpiration in the presence of wind is 0.0175 millilitres per minute. The leafy shoots
placed in the standard laboratory condition is set as a constant variable and there are no
influences for and against transpiration, allowing natural transpiration to take place. We
need to measure the water transpired under standard laboratory condition in order to
determine the water transpired due to the presence of wind. In the presence of wind, the
water vapour in the air is carried away by the wind. Thus the humid air layer around the
leafy shoot is blown away, leaving the air around the plant dry and giving the plant more
water potential gradient for the water leaving the stomata through transpiration. It is not
valid to use the control data to compare with the other environmental conditions recorded
by others in the class. This is because every environmental factors have different ways to
affect the rate of water transpiration. For example, higher temperature causes the water
evaporates more from the stomata and also increases the water holding capacity of the
surrounding air. On the other hand, higher humidity of the air lowers water potential
gradient and slows down the evaporation of water from the leaves. Thus it is hard to
compare which factor contributes a greater effect on the rate of transpiration.

Conclusion: 50 words
The hypotheses are correct according to the data that are collected from the class. The rate
of transpiration is higher in the presence of wind and at higher temperature respectively
while the rate of transpiration is lower in relatively high humidity, comparing with the
standard laboratory conditions.

References:
Biology 10004 Laboratory Workbook (2015), University of Melbourne
Knox,Ladiges,Evans,Saint 2014, Biology An Australian Focus 5ed, McGraw Hill Education

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