plants in space - nasa · plants in space - video resource guide ... the video illustrates some of...

1Plants In Space - Video Resource Guide - EV-1998-12-017-HQ

National Aeronautics andSpace Administration

Educational Product Educators Grades 5-12

Plants In SpaceA Videotape for Biology and Life Science

Liftoff to Learning

Video Resource Guide

EV-1998-12-017-HQ

2 Plants In Space - Video Resource Guide - EV-1998-12-017-HQ

Background

Space scientists are very interested in theability of plants to grow onboard orbitingspacecraft. Plants are being considered as apossible source of food and as an air purifierfor long space voyages. In orbit, plants areexposed to an environment in which gravity'seffects are greatly diminished (microgravity).Normally, plants sense gravity and respond tothis stimulus by sending roots downward intothe soil and shoots upward towards the light.This behavior is called a tropism. In otherwords, tropisms are a plant's response tostimuli. Because this specific responserelates to gravity, this tropism is referred to asgravitropism.

The mechanism in plants that causes them torespond to gravity and other environmentalfactors, such as light, is hormone-based.Auxin (common name for indoleacetic acid)promotes or retards growth of plant cellsdepending upon where they are located in theplant. In stem growth, for example, auxinstimulates the elongation of young cells. Ifthe Sun is directly overhead, all sides of theplant's stem receives the same amount oflight. However, if one side of the plant isshaded, auxin will move away from the lightand concentrate in the stem on the darkerside of the plant. This will cause cells toelongate and bend the plant towards the light(phototropism). If the plant is tipped over, theside of the stem near the ground is shadedmore and auxin stimulates growth there,causing the plant to bend upward. Theupward bending is also due to gravity'seffects. If the plant is tipped over indarkness, it will still bend upward(gravitropism).

In root cells, auxin inhibits growth. Auxincauses roots to grow away from light andtoward the gravity force. If a root is exposed

Video Synopsis

Title: Plants In Space

Length: 12:15

Subjects:The video illustrates some of the basic plantgrowth tropisms and the effects of themicrogravity environment of Earth orbit onplant growth.

Description:Students at an elementary school participatein an experiment on plant growth with SpaceShuttle astronauts. Identical seed growthpouches are planted with corn and soybeanseeds. Some of the seeds are germinated onEarth and others on the Space Shuttle inEarth orbit. Rather than drawing conclusionson the effects of microgravity on plant growth,viewers are invited to participate in theexperiment by growing seeds on Earth ascontrol experiments. This video resourceguide provides data on the experimentalplants grown in space that can be comparedwith the control plants. Viewers are invited todraw their own conclusions.

Science Standards:Unifying Concepts and Processes

Change, constancy and measurementScience as Inquiry

Abilities necessary to do scientificinquiry

Life ScienceRegulation and behaviorStructure and function in livingsystems

Mathematics Standards:Measurement


Terms

Gravitropism (also called geotropism) - A plant's growth response to gravity.

Hydrotropism - A plant's growth response to water.

Microgravity - An environment, created by falling, in which gravity's effects are greatlyreduced.

Phototropism - A plant's growth response to light.

Tropism - Response of an organism to an environmental stimulus.

to light, auxin will inhibit the growth of thecells along the bottom edge of the root,causing the root to turn downward. Beneaththe soil, auxin concentrates on the lowersides of the roots. A root that starts growing

horizontally or upward will be turned into thedirection of the gravity force by auxin.

Root growth is also strongly affected by thepresence of water (hydrotropism). Home

Auxin migratesto shaded sideof stem

Auxin stimulates cellsto grow longer, causingstem to bend into light

Sunlight


owners sometimes discover they havebroken sewer lines when tree roots grow tothe water source and block the lines.

To learn more about plant growth in space,astronauts on the STS-91 Space Shuttlemission carried plastic seed growth pouchescontaining corn and soybean seeds. Uponarrival in orbit, the seed pouches were givenwater to cause the seeds to germinate. Halfof the pouches were attached to the walls ofthe middeck cabin and exposed to the normalfluorescent work lights present there. Theother half of the pouches were placed insidelockers in darkness. In addition to theseeds, each pouch contained two layers ofbrown paper towels to equally distribute thewater added to the pouches. Thus, theexperiment examined phototropism.Gravitropism and hydrotropism effects wereeliminated. Near the end of the mission, thepouches were photographed to show theextent of stem and root growth.

In order to analyze the results of the flightexperiment, students are invited to create acontrol experiment. Since the corn seedsexhibited the most growth during the flightexperiment, the student control experimentwill concentrate on corn. Students will placecorn seeds inside plastic pouches andgerminate them with water. Some of thepouches will be placed in darkness andothers exposed to light. Students will graphthe stem and root growth daily for 10 days.At the end of the experiment, students willcompare the growth of their seeds with theseeds on the Space Shuttle. To simplify thecomparison of the control and the spaceplants, the growth of the space corn has beensketched to make details more apparent.

STS-91 Corn Seeds Grown in Darkness

STS-91 Corn Seeds Grown in Light


Classroom Activities

Plants In Microgravity - ControlExperiment

Materials:Plastic zipper food bags (quart size)Brown paper towelsCorn seeds (6 per pouch)Gummed paper dots (1 per pouch)10 cc syringe10 cm long piece of aquarium hoseDistilled WaterChlorine bleachEye protectionWash panStrainerSinkMarker penExperiment Graph Sheets (6 per experimentpouch)Shuttle seed growth diagramMasking tapeTweezers

Objectives:To grow corn plants in growth pouches as thecontrol group in an experiment on plantgrowth in microgravity.

To analyze any differences that occurbetween Earth-grown and space-grown cornplants.

Safety:Be sure students wear eye protection whenhandling the chlorine bleach.

Seed Handling:Students should wash their hands in soapand water or wear gloves and use thetweezers for handling the seeds. Handcontact with the seeds will contaminate theseeds with mold spores.

Procedure:1. Prepare the seed pouches by cutting and

inserting two layers of brown paper towelsinto the pouches. Punch a small holethrough the back plastic of the pouch nearthe top.

2. Prepare the seeds by sterilizing theirsurfaces. Immerse them in a 10% chlorinebleach solution for 5 minutes. This will killmold spores that may be clinging to theoutside of the seeds. Rinse the seeds incold water for 5 minutes.

3. Using the tweezers, slip six corn seedsinside the pouch and space them equallyacross the middle of the pouch in a linethat will be horizontal when the pouchesare stood up. Give each seed a numberalong the bottom of the pouch with themarker pen.

4. Seal the pouch and inject 10 cc of distilledwater through the hole in the back of thepouch. Use a syringe with a smallamount of aquarium hose attached to thenozzle end to insert the measured wateramount.

5. Seal the hole by covering it with a gummedpaper dot.

6. Tape the seed pouch to the inside wall of acloset or cabinet (for dark seeds) or to thewall (for light seeds). Stretch the plastic tokeep the pouch from bulging. The seedswill probably have slipped their positionsinside the pouches. Return the seeds totheir horizontal row by kneading the pouchsurface.

7. Measure the length of the root and stemsdaily. Make sure the students measurejust the primary root and not the length ofthe secondary roots as well. Plot theresults on the graph. Use one graph foreach seed.


Discussion:Although this experiment involvesexperimental and control groups, theexperiment, as set up here, has certainproblems that keeps it from being researchquality. First, the corn seeds may not beidentical and, unless the identical pouch isused, the pouch is another variable.Germination temperatures are likely to bedifferent and the intensity of the lighting forthe group exposed to light on the SpaceShuttle will be different as well.Nevertheless, the experiment can yieldinteresting qualitative data on the growth ofcorn in microgravity. Students will noticevariations in the directions of root and stemgrowth. Students will also gain practice inconducting experiments, collecting, andgraphing data. (Due to time constraintsduring the mission, the Space Shuttleastronauts were not able to graph thegrowth.) Have students compare the seedgrowth in their pouches on the last day of theexperiment.

Extension:• Ask students to come up with ideas forapparatus that can be used to grow plants inspace. Knowing that roots and stems maygrow in odd directions, discuss strategies forusing other plant tropisms (photo and hydro)for encourating plants to grow in desireddirections.• What plants might be good for space flight?(fast growing, high yield of food, high nutritionvalue, etc.)

Supplier Note:The CGY Seed Growth Pouch used on theSpace Shuttle was manufactured byMega International3208 W. Lake Street, #22Minneapolis, MN 55416


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References

NASA ON-LINE RESOURCES FOR EDUCATORS

NASA On-line Resources for Educators providecurrent educational information and instructionalresource materials to teachers, faculty, and students.A wide range of information is available, includingscience, mathematics, engineering, and technologyeducation lesson plans, historical information relatedto the aeronautics and space program, current statusreports on NASA projects, news releases, informationon NASA educational programs, useful software andgraphics files. Educators and students can also useNASA resources as learning tools to explore theInternet, access information about educational grants,interact with other schools, and participate in on-lineinteractive projects with NASA scientists, engineers,and other team members to experience the excitementof real NASA projects.

Access these resources through the NASA EducationHome Page: http://education.nasa.govOther web sites of interest:

http://www.jsc.nasa.govhttp://station.nasa.gov/core.htmlhttp://www.osf.hq.nasa.gov/hedshttp://atlas.ksc.nasa.gov/celss/INTRO.HTM

STS-91 Crew Biographies

Commander Charles J. Precourt (Colonel, USAF)Charles Precourt was born in Waltham,Massachusetts, and grew up in Hudson,Massachusetts. He received a B.S. degree inaeronautical engineering from the USAF Academy, anM.S. degree in engineering management from GoldenGate University, and an M.A. degree in nationalsecurity affairs and strategic studies from the U.S.Naval War College. He also studied as an exchangestudent at the French Air Force Academy. Precourtflew the F-15 while based at Bitburg Air Base inGermany. As a test pilot at Edwards Air Force Base,California, Precourt flew the F-15E, F-4, A-7, and A-37aircraft. His flight experience includes more than6,500 hours in over 50 types of civil and militaryaircraft. Precourt was selected as an astronaut in1990and flew as a mission specialist on STS-55 in 1993and as a pilot aboard STS-71 (the first Space Shuttlemission to dock with the Russian Space Station Mirand exchange crews) in 1995. As commander of STS-84, Precourt was in charge of the sixth Shuttle missionscheduled to rendezvous and dock with Mir. At theconslusion of STS-91 he has logged more than 39days in space.

Pilot Dominic L. Pudwill Gorie (Commander, USN)Dominic Gorie was born in Lake Charles, Louisiana.He received a B.S. degree in ocean engineering fromthe U.S. Naval Academy and an M.S. degree inaviation systems from the University of Tennessee.He was designated a Naval Aviator and flew the A-7ECorsair with Attack Squadron 46 aboard the USSAmerica. He transitioned to Strike Fighter Squadron132 and flew the F/A-18 Hornet aboard the USS CoralSea. He subsequently attended the U.S. Naval TestPilot School and served as a test pilot at the Naval AirTest Center. He was assigned to Strike FighterSquadron 87, flying the F/A-18 aboard the USSRoosevelt and participated in Operation Desert Storm,flying 38 combat missions. He then served with theU.S. Space Command in Colorado Springs for twoyears. Gorie was en route to his command tour of anF/A-18 squadron when he was selected as anastronaut candidate in 1994. He has served as aspacecraft communicator (capcom) in Mission Controlfor numerous Space Shuttle flights. Gorie has accruedover 3,800 hours in more than 30 aircraft and has over600 carrier landings. STS-91 was his first SpaceShuttle flight.

Mission Specialist Franklin R. Chang-Diaz, Ph.D.Born in San Jose, Costa Rica, Franklin R. Chang-Diazreceived a B.S. degree in mechanical engineeringfrom the University of Connecticut and a doctorate inapplied plasma physics from the MassachusettsInstitute of Technology (MIT). He has beendeveloping a new concept in rocket propulsion basedon high-temperature plasma. As a Visiting Scientistwith the MIT Plasma Fusion Center, he led the plasmapropulsion program there from1981-1993 to developthis technology for future human missions to Mars. In1994, he was appointed Director of the AdvancedSpace Propulsion Laboratory at the Johnson SpaceCenter where he continues his research on plasmarockets. Dr. Chang-Diaz is also an adjunct professor ofphysics at the University of Houston. He has loggedover 1,033 hours on five Space Shuttle flights. Thiswas his sixth mission into space.

Mission Specialist Janet Lynn Kavandi, Ph.D.Dr. Kavandi was born in Springfield, Missouri.Valedictorian of her high school class, she received aB.S. degree in chemistry from Missouri Southern StateCollege, Joplin, and an M.S degree in chemistry fromthe University of Missouri, Rolla. She later earned aPh.D. in analytical chemistry from the University ofWashington, Seattle. After she received the M.S.degree, Dr. Kavandi accepted a position at Eagle-Picher Industries in Joplin, Missouri, as an engineer innew battery development for defense applications.Later, she became an engineer in the Power Systems


Technology Department of the Boeing AerospaceCompany. While at Boeing, Kavandi supportednumerous programs and proposals, including SpaceStation, Lunar and Mars Bases, the Inertial UpperStage (IUS), NASA Get-Away Specials, Air LaunchedCruise Missile, Short Range Attack Missile 11, SeaLance, Minuteman, and Peacekeeper. While workingfor Boeing, she accepted a graduate schoolappointment at the University of Washington whereshe began working toward her doctorate in analyticalchemistry. Her doctoral thesis focused on thedevelopment of a pressure-indicating paint used onaerodynamic models in wind tunnels to producecontinuous real-time surface pressure measurements.Her work has resulted in two patents to date. She wasselected as an astronaut in 1994 and has worked inthe payload integration area for the InternationalSpace Station. STS-91 was Dr. Kavandi's first SpaceShuttle mission.

Mission Specialist Wendy B. Lawrence(Commander, USN)Wendy Lawrence was born in Jacksonville, Florida.She earned a B.S. degree in ocean engineering fromthe U.S. Naval Academy and an M.S. in oceanengineering from the Massachusetts Institute ofTechnology (MIT) and the Woods Hole OceanographicInstitution. Lawrence was a distinguished flight schoolgraduate and was designated a Naval Aviator in 1982.She has logged more than 1,500 hours of flight time in6 types of helicopters and has made more than 800shipboard landings. After graduating from MIT,Lawrence served as officer-in-charge of the HelicopterAnti-Submarine Squadron Light THIRTY DetachmentAlfa. Later, she was assigned to the U.S. NavalAcademy as a physics instructor and the novicewomen's crew coach. Lawrence was selected to be anastronaut in 1992. She flew on STS-67, the secondflight of the ASTRO observatory and aboard STS-86,the seventh mission to rendezvous and dock with theRussian Space Station Mir. With the conclusion ofSTS-91, she has logged more than 38 days in space.

Mission Specialist, Russian Cosmonaut ValeryVictorovltch RyumlnValery Ryumln was born in the city of Komsomolsk-on-Amur in the Russian Far East. In 1958 he graduatedfrom the Kaliningrad Mechanical EngineeringTechnical College with a specialty in Cold Working ofMetal. In 1966, he graduated from the Department ofElectronics and Computing Technology of the MoscowForestry Engineering Institute with a specialty inSpacecraft Control Systems. From 1958 to 1961,Ryumin served in the army as a tank commander.From 1966 to the present, he has been employed atthe Rocket Space Corporation Energia, holding the

positions of: Ground Electrical Test Engineer, DeputyLead Designer for Orbital Stations, Department Head,and Deputy General Designer for Testing. He helpeddevelop and prepare all orbital stations, beginning withSalyut-1. In 1973, he joined the RSC Energiacosmonaut corps. A veteran of three space flights,Ryumin has logged a total of 362 days in space. In1977, he spent 2 days aboard Soyuz-25; in 1979, hespent 175 days aboard Soyuz vehicles and the Salyut-6 Space Station; and in 1980, he spent 185 daysaboard Soyuz vehicles and the Salyut-6 SpaceStation. From 1981 to 1989, Ryumin was flight directorfor the Salyut-7 Space Station and the Mir SpaceStation. Since 1992, he has been the Director of theRussian portion of the Shuttle-Mir and NASA-MirProgram. In January 1998, NASA announcedRyumin's selection to the crew of STS-91, the finalscheduled Shuttle-Mir docking mission, concluding thejoint U.S.-Russian Phase I Program. STS-91 was hisfirst Space Shuttle flight.

Mission Specialist, NASA-Mir 7 Andrew S. W.Thomas, Ph.D.Dr. Andrew Thomas was born in Adelaide, SouthAustralia. He received a B.E. degree in mechanicalengineering with First Class Honors and a Ph.D. inmechanical engineering from the University ofAdelaide, South Australia. He then joined theLockheed Aeronautical Systems Company, Marietta,Georgia, as a research scientist and was responsiblefor experimental investigations into the control of fluiddynamic instabilities and their consequences to aircraftdrag. He also served as head of the Advanced FlightSciences Department and manager of the researchlaboratory, the wind tunnels, and the test facilities usedin studies of various problems in advancedaerodynamics and aircraft flight tests. Dr. Thomas waslater appointed manager of Lockheed’s FlightSciences Division and directed the technical efforts invehicle aerodynamics, flight controls, and propulsionsystems that support the company’s fleet of productionaircraft. This organization also provided technical anddesign support to the advanced aerospace vehicledevelopment programs sponsored within the companyby the United States Air Force and NASA. In 1989, hejoined the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) and wasappointed leader of the JPL program for microgravitymaterials processing in space. Dr. Thomas wasselected to be an astronaut by NASA in March 1992.He previously flew on STS-77 and STS-89. Thomasreturned with the STS-91 crew after spendingapproximately 120 days aboard the Mir Space Station,the final scheduled Shuttle-Mir docking mission,concluding the joint U.S.-Russian Phase I Program.


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