Hey everyone,
In a few weeks I will be planning and setting up a major biology experiment which will strongly affect my final grade. I am talking about the *final* grade here, the grade which will follow one round for the rest of his/her life and all that talk needed to scare teens...but enough of that. Of course I want to do well. And so guess what topic I chose.
Ok, so here's what I gotta do:
1) I have to plan an experiment (not the tiny ones about mixing fluids you do in a lab), but a medium scale research type one with personal data collected, but not so big so as to require thousand dollar apparatus.
2) Carry it out (probably at the college or in my home), over the next 5 months - hand-in date middle of October
3) Write it up, with full conclusion and evaluation, and method to say everything to the last detail. 4000 words max in total. Not that much really considering how much I tend to pour out at the table...
So I need some suggestions. The plant of testing will probably be nepenthes, but I have hardly made my mind up. Its just that VFTs will be long dormant by then (these plants come from australia, mind you), but if I'm desperate I can always order from the US. Dews are good, but overall a small test subject, difficult to handle. Neps are the best fit. You can inject them, withdraw their fluids, feed them, with practically no effect besides they will grow massive and engulf the living room.
I need ideas for the experimentation topic, basically. If it is to do with neps then I would be looking at things like testing the pH of their fluids, enzyme production at different stages of pitcher development, growth/rate of digestion when fed with different types of food (although I do not know ho win the world to test that)...and things like that. Remember, I have to keep it small.
Other suggestions are of course welcome, I am still flexible and will change my mind if a good experiment concerning VFTs/dews/pings come along. Still it must be something doable.
I am asking you to guide me through this. Or at least give me a few suggestions...I need to talk through it to make sure I am experimenting on the best possible (doable) topic and not flialing off unobjectively in no direction. If I do not have the resources I may appeal to those who have to come up with some results in their spare time, but I will do whatever I can first. You guys have helped me before and I am sure you will do so again.
Jason
In a few weeks I will be planning and setting up a major biology experiment which will strongly affect my final grade. I am talking about the *final* grade here, the grade which will follow one round for the rest of his/her life and all that talk needed to scare teens...but enough of that. Of course I want to do well. And so guess what topic I chose.
Ok, so here's what I gotta do:
1) I have to plan an experiment (not the tiny ones about mixing fluids you do in a lab), but a medium scale research type one with personal data collected, but not so big so as to require thousand dollar apparatus.
2) Carry it out (probably at the college or in my home), over the next 5 months - hand-in date middle of October
3) Write it up, with full conclusion and evaluation, and method to say everything to the last detail. 4000 words max in total. Not that much really considering how much I tend to pour out at the table...
So I need some suggestions. The plant of testing will probably be nepenthes, but I have hardly made my mind up. Its just that VFTs will be long dormant by then (these plants come from australia, mind you), but if I'm desperate I can always order from the US. Dews are good, but overall a small test subject, difficult to handle. Neps are the best fit. You can inject them, withdraw their fluids, feed them, with practically no effect besides they will grow massive and engulf the living room.
I need ideas for the experimentation topic, basically. If it is to do with neps then I would be looking at things like testing the pH of their fluids, enzyme production at different stages of pitcher development, growth/rate of digestion when fed with different types of food (although I do not know ho win the world to test that)...and things like that. Remember, I have to keep it small.
Other suggestions are of course welcome, I am still flexible and will change my mind if a good experiment concerning VFTs/dews/pings come along. Still it must be something doable.
I am asking you to guide me through this. Or at least give me a few suggestions...I need to talk through it to make sure I am experimenting on the best possible (doable) topic and not flialing off unobjectively in no direction. If I do not have the resources I may appeal to those who have to come up with some results in their spare time, but I will do whatever I can first. You guys have helped me before and I am sure you will do so again.
Jason