Before you try the experiments included in this section, we recommend that you take a look through this introduction, to find out why plants are so cool!

How to Use the Experiments on this Site

The experiments on this site are adapted by NSCORT scientists from the outreach work they to teachers in the "Plants, Gravity & Space" Special topics course. The experiments are provided for students of grades 6-12; some activities students can try at home, while others require teacher supervision.

The Importance of Plants for Space Exploration

NASA’s goal is to explore the solar system and to enrich our lives here on Earth.
The success of long-term space missions depends upon the ability of the human inhabitants to live and thrive off the land and to adapt to the new conditions in which they find themselves. In order for this to happen, technologies must be developed that make solar system exploration a great deal more economical.

The development and implementation of a biological life support system that is responsive to the changing needs of the crew would be of enormous significance for our ability to live in space. A major component of this system would be plants. This is because plants are naturally self-perpetuating and therefore remove the need for expensive and potentially unreliable re-supply missions. Just as they do here on Earth, plants could also provide clean air, pure water, food, pharmaceuticals and other raw materials for the support of the crew.

However, before plants can be used for life support in space or on other planets, we must study how they will respond and adapt to their new environment, including lower gravity, higher radiation and other unique growing conditions.
We will be ab le to use existing plants and even create new ones, through genetic engineering, once we gain this understanding and this will allow us to expand our presence in the solar system to satisfy our innate desire to delve into the unknown.

Microgravity

All life on Earth has evolved under the constant and pervasive force of gravity. Space Biology as a discipline exists to determine how gravity shapes life and, now that we are able to leave the surface of the plant, how life responds to the absence of gravity. To do this researchers are looking at the mechanisms by which evolution, development, cell processes, physiological systems and organisms respond and adapt to gravity.


How Do Plants Grow?

Plant growth is influenced by many environmental factors such as light, temperature, chemicals and gravity. A plant needs to be able to sense changes in its environment and adjust its growth in response. Plant growth occurs when the environmental conditions are favorable. Unlike animals, plants are rooted in the ground and are unable to relocate themsel ves in their environment, but they can change their direction of growth. They can move and orientate themselves to better access the environmental components necessary to their life and development. In many instances the change in environment, or signal, is detected in one part of the plant, but the growth may occur in another part of the plant.


The Process of Science:

Science is all about questions. Just like all scientists, as you work through the NSCORT activities on this site you will be progressing through the following stages:

• Making observations - What do you observe?
  
  
• Asking questions: Do you have a question about what you observed?
  
  
• Forming a hypothesis: What is your idea about an answer for your question?
  
  
• Testing the hypothesis: How could you investigate your idea?
  
  
• Evaluating the hypothesis: Did you answer the question?
  

Acknowledgements:

With special thanks to Drs C. & P. Williams, Wisconsin Fast Plants Program, University of Wisconsin for allowing us to include and modify their experiment on phototropism and the "processes of science" section.

Material provided by:

Drs. C.Brown, A. Clore, J. Love, I. Perera & S. Wyatt, NCSU-NSCORT Scientists
& Ms. Tracey Horn