Question to all you Sciency Brainiacs

[kizudo]

So...you know how you save your "I feel stupid" questions for your closest girlfriends?  Well, I've asked two of them already and they can't help me out.  So...rather than try to formulate my question into a simple five word sentence and google it, I will ask you my other closest mommy and daddy friends...  Just remember, I'm feeling stupid so if you have an answer for me use simple terms  

Two weeks ago I soaked too many beans for the recipe of bean soup I was trying out.  Rather than throw out the extra presoaked beans, I thought I'd save them to make something else the next day...well, three days later I remembered them  and saw that some of them had begun sprouting.  I was about to chuck them into the garbage can when I decided to take out nine of the most similar looking (advanced) beans.  My three and a half year old and I planted three in each babyfood jar - equal depths from the surface.  One jar would get no sunshine, but would get water; the second would get sunshine but no water, and the third would get both sunshine and water.  They've been in the dirt for 1.5 weeks.

I told my son that a plant needs both sunshine and water and therefore only jar three would grow.

Our results:
Jar 1 (no sunshine but water) - grew the first and is growing the tallest (we're talking over a foot tall at this point).  It is a pale, pale yellowy green plant with teeny little leaves. 1 tsp of water/day.  All three beans are growing.
Jar 2 (sunshine, no water) - sprouted a healthy looking deep green leaf today  Only one bean is growing at this point.
Jar 3 (sunshine and water) - the same deep green, about 5 inches tall but has wide leaves. 2 tsp of water/day due to evaporation.  All three are growing.

What's up with these results?  Is this what you would have expected?  What did I miss in elementary science class?

[tlyoung]

We did a simlar experiment in Botany. The no sunshine plants are simlar to those with sunshine right now but with time they will not be as big or green. Think of white asparagus, it is really the same as the green asparagus just the white is grown without the sun. Water is essential for growth beyond the plant using stored nutrients, the one without water had no chance overtime.

White asparagus comes from the process of etiolation, which is the deprivation of light. Dirt is kept mounded around the emerging stalk, depriving it of light. The plant cannot produce chlorophyll without light, thus there is no green color to the stalks.

I hope this answers your question.

[baz]

Hope this helps!! I actually goggled for you because my english is not as good. Cheers!

While the plants grown in the sunshine and in dim light looked normal, the sprouts developing in the dark became long, thin, and pale. Seeds contain stored food that fuels a young plant’s initial growth. To continue to grow, green plants need to produce their own food by combining water from the soil and carbon dioxide from the air during a process called photosynthesis that is powered by the sun’s light energy.

When exposed to sunlight, plants produce a special green pigment or coloring matter, called chlorophyll (the green coloring matter produced in plants), to trap the sun’s energy. Without sunlight, young plants remain pale. Using up their stored energy to generate stem growth, they also grow long and thin. Normally, this increases the sprout’s chances to
reach sunlight. Your sprouts growing in dim light are likely to be longer and thinner than those growing in the sunny window.

[kizudo]

GREAT!  I knew I could count on my BK friends!  These are excellent explanations!

So, to review:
The plant receiving sunshine and water will continue to grow into a healthy plant.
The plant receiving only sunshine will grow until it has used up its "store" of energy and then will die.
The plant receiving only water will grow, but not necessarily as a healthy plant.  Is this part right?  Will it die sooner than the sunshine & water plant?  Would it be correct to tell my son that even though the plant is growing it wouldn't have the same healthy nutrients as the sunshine/water plant?

Thank you so much!

[baz]

I think you got all three right. I summarize some facts i got over various sources.. Hope this helps

Two plant processes control the degree of growth that your plants will experience - photosynthesis and respiration.

Requirements for Photosynthesis
Plants need certain things in order to undergo photosynthesis - light, water and carbon dioxide.

Light
Insufficient sunlight results in no growth or poor growth. If the light provided is not bright enough or in the right part of the spectrum, the plant's total growth and size will be more limited and the plant could even die.
The amount of light is also a limiting factor in the life cycle of the plant. Without proper light, plant growth will be stunted and the plant may not mature.

Water
Plants derive nutrients from the water and air. Nutrients found in soil are absorbed through water. Not enough water results in nutrient deficiency, or a bean seed that doesn't grow. Water also helps the nutrients to reach every cell in the plant. As it circulates through the plants body, the water even removes the waste products. This means without water, a plant will likely die quickly.

Carbon Dioxide
Carbon dioxide is another necessary reactant for the process of photosynthesis to occur. Photosynthesis uses carbon dioxide during its process and then releases oxygen as a product.

[tlyoung]

I think this would be a good time to discuss the role of proper nutrition with your son using your experiment as an example. "Would it be correct to tell my son that even though the plant is growing it wouldn't have the same healthy nutrients as the sunshine/water plant?"  Yes, the health and future of the plants not receiving proper light, water and nutrients from the soil will suffer. People, like plants, have their daily requirements and can only work on saved nutrients for a limited amount of time.For example we require water and vitamin C daily, we process vitamin D with sunlight exposure and we store iron for use as needed. Without these examples the body will suffer and not grow to its full potential. You could incorporate this into a healthly living lesson that is age appropriate. Maybe even convince him to eat or try food he is not fond of.

[khatty]

Could I add protein content to the discussion?  Beans grown without the proper resources (water, air, soil nutrients) will have different protein content.  Obviously, reasonable amounts of sun, water, and soil rich in organic material will grow a bean high in protein.  A bean deprived of any of these will have lower protein.  It doesn't always follow, but usually a healthy plant equals higher protein.  Higher protein beans are more nutrious to eat.

[kizudo]

This is WONDERFUL!  Thanks everyone!  Today the skinny plant grown in the dark fell over.  We talked about how it was so weak that it couldn't support itself any longer. 

I'll bring your points to the table today to discuss as we have dinner.  Oh the shame    - I've got chicken fingers and McCain fries in the oven - but hey, it's Friday and it's been a rough day - sigh.  Maybe I'll save the "healthy living" discussion for tomorrow when I feed him real food!

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