Germination of Radiated Seeds: Written work

Background

I was interested in this project because I had been trying to grow some flowers in my garden, but they failed to grow. I saw on sciencebuddies.org that radiated seeds germinate faster. So I wanted to see if it's true. A few people tested this method on root turnip seeds. I tested beans to see if the same effect applies.

Seed sprouting is called germination, and is the process during which the baby plant emerges from the seed and develops its first set of true leaves. Germination begins when the seed absorbs water, which causes the endosperm to swell and pop open the seed coat. Then the embryo will grow and develop its first set of true leaves, using food stored in the endosperm for energy. Some seeds take a very long time to germinate, while others germinate very quickly. For this experiment, I have chosen yellow soy beans, which germinate very quickly within a day or so.

Plants use energy from the sun to grow and make food in their leaves. Some of the sun's energy is in the form of ultraviolet radiation, sometimes called UV rays. The UV radiation from the sun is one kind of electromagnetic radiation. Electromagnetic radiation is also produced by many household appliances, like radios, cell phones, televisions, and your microwave. When you use a microwave, the microwaves travel through your food, causing the food to cook. In this experiment I will use a microwave to expose our seeds to electromagnetic radiation. Sometimes electromagnetic energy can also cause heat, and in our experiment I will heat our seeds by microwaving them in the microwave.'

Purpose

To see how microwaving soy beans affect the speed of their germination.

Hypothesis

If the soy beans were microwaved for 10 seconds, they will sprout before all the other variables and the control. The beans that have been microwaved for 30 and 40 seconds will not sprout at due to the fact that they might be cooked in the microwave.

Materials

² yellow soy beans

² see through containers

² water

² microwave

Procedures

. Microwave:

10 beans for 10 seconds
10 beans for 20 seconds
10 beans for 30 seconds
10 beans for 40 seconds
leave 10 as the control

2. Label cups with labels stating the amount of

Time the seeds have been radiated.
3. Put beans in according cups and submerge

120 mL water.

Discussion

Seeds that have been microwaved for 30 seconds sprouted first. Then the control came in second, the ones microwaved for 10 seconds and 20 seconds sprouted at the same rate, and the one microwaved for 40 seconds did not sprout at all.

Many seeds exhibit dormancy. Some, like beans, and their relatives have a hard exterior which prevents the necessary oxygen and water to get into the seed. Others either require or benefit from exposure to a cold treatment, called stratification (the beans may be affected by cold). Others, like lettuce, need light. In the last two cases, it's thought that inhibitors in the seed prevent germination until they are removed by cold or light. Seed dormancy may be important in controlling when the seeds germinate in nature. For my experiment, I used microwave radiation. This type of radiation will heat up any water molecules in the seeds. There isn't much water in dry seeds, but the seeds may have heated up slightly. By heating up the seeds, I have weakened the seed coats -- allowing water to more quickly penetrate the seeds. In conclusion, too much radiation can kill the seeds, while the right amount of radiation can provide a jump start to seed germination

Conclusion

The results of my experiment did not support my hypothesis. I hypothesized that seeds microwaved for 10 seconds will sprout first, but instead, seeds that have been microwaved for 30 seconds sprouted first.

References

Sara Agee. Radiant Radish Seeds. Science Buddies. 18 January 2006.

Germination of Radiated Seeds

Monday 28 January 2008

Written work

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