Kela Moore Student Blog Post #3

Kela Moore P-1

1.) This week, I have noticed that the plant looks much stronger and more mature than before, with darker, more firm looking leaves. The leaves are also much larger and more abundant than before. Overall, they look healthy, and thriving

2.) Our plants participate in the water cycle by taking in water from the ground, and using it in the process of photosynthesis, while some of the water evaporates from the leaves, in a process called "transpiration". This correlates to the changes we noticed this week because, since the leaves are bigger, more water can evaporate out, and since the root system has likely beefed up along with the plant, it likely takes in much more water.

3.) Our plants participate in the carbon cycle by taking Carbon Dioxide out of the atmosphere to use in photosynthesis. Photosynthesis is the process plants use to create energy(sugar) for themselves. After that, when an animal eats the plant, they break down the molecules and expel what's left as Carbon Dioxide. The plants rolls in the carbon cycle shows simply in the fact that the plants have grown. If they hadn't participated in the carbon cycle, then they wouldn't have produced energy, and wouldn't have grown at all.

4.) Our plants participate in the nitrogen cycle by taking nitrates out of the soil, and using them to make chlorophyll, which is what colors their leaves. This is again, very simply shown in the fact that the leaves are green. Had the plants not participated in the nitrogen cycle, they would not have the necessary proteins and amino acids to produce the chlorophyll that makes the plants green.