1. The characteristic of the Brassica Oleracea that seem to exhibit the most variation seems to be the leaves of our plant, more specifically the ratio between the leaf length and width. Our group went out into the garden to record and get data from our plant. We measured both the width of the Brassica Oleracea and the length of the leaves on the Brassica Oleracea (Both the Kale and Brussels Sprouts). We then found the the characteristic of leaf length had more variation than the height of Brassica Oleracea. (We found the following leaf lengths and widths and have them shown below)
Leaf Length
Leaf Length
Plant 1: leaf 1 - 11,5 cm
Plant 1: leaf 2 - 9.5 cm
Plant 1: leaf 3 - 13.5 cm
Plant 1: leaf 4 - 10.5 cm
Plant 1: leaf 5 - 11 cm
Plant 1: leaf average - 11.2 cm
Plant 2: leaf 1 - 9.5 cm
Plant 2: leaf 2 - 8 cm
Plant 2: leaf 3 - 8.5 cm
Plant 2: leaf 4 - 10 cm
Plant 2: leaf 5 - 11 cm
Plant 2: leaf average - 9.4 cm
Plant 3: leaf 1 - 14.4 cm
Plant 3: leaf 2 - 13.4 cm
Plant 3: leaf 3 - 12.8 cm
Plant 3: leaf 4 - 13.7 cm
Plant 3: leaf 5 - 14.1 cm
Plant 3: leaf average - 13.68
Leaf Width
Plant 1: leaf 1 - 9 cm
Plant 1: leaf 2 - 8.5 cm
Plant 1: leaf 3 - 9.75 cm
Plant 1: leaf 4 - 10 cm
Plant 1: leaf 5 - 10.5
Plant 1: leaf width average 9.55 cm
Plant 2: leaf 1 - 8.5 cm
Plant 2: leaf 2 - 7 cm
Plant 2: leaf 3 - 8.5 cm
Plant 2: leaf 4 - 10 cm
Plant 2: leaf 5 - 9.5 cm
Plant 2: leaf width average 8.7 cm
Plant 3: leaf 1 - 6.4 cm
Plant 3: leaf 2 - 10.4 cm
Plant 3: leaf 3 - 7.8 cm
Plant 3: leaf 4 - 8.7 cm
Plant 3: leaf 5 - 8.9 cm
Plant 3: leaf width average: 7.84 cm
Plant Ratio
Plant 1: leaf average - 11.2 : 9.55 = 1.173 (Brussels Sprouts)
Plant 2 leaf average - 9.4 : 8.7 = 1.080 (Smaller Brussels Sprouts)
Plant 3 leaf average - 13.68 : 7.84 = 1.745 (Kale)
In conclusion, The two Brussels Sprouts plants' ratio are very similar while the kale ratio is different. This is true because the kale plants have much longer leaves (with the length being almost two times as long than wide), while the Brussels sprouts plants have a very close 1 : 1 ratio of length and width.
2. I think that there is variation in the Brassica Oleracea because of the types of reproductive isolation that we have read and learned about. Types and forms of reproductive isolation include temporal isolation, behavioral isolation, geographic isolation, ecological isolation, and mechanical isolation. I will explain in detail and give examples to these types of reproductive isolation, however, there are more possible ways for the Brassica Oleracea to have variation. These additional examples include natural selection, meiosis, mutations, and genetic drift. Natural Selection is the theory thought up by Charles Darwin, which concludes that individual organisms that have adaptations that better suit them for the environment will have higher "fitness", causing the organism to survive and reproduce, hence passing on the trait that better fits them for the environment. This is likely a big factor in variation, because natural selection will "kill" off the organisms with worse fitness, affecting the variation between the species. Temporal isolation prevents different species from having offspring because of their mating season. For example, one species of bird may mate in the summer, while another species may mate in the winter. The species cannot interbreed because of their mating seasons. I do not think temporal isolation applies to the plants because plants do not have mating seasons. Behavioral isolation is when species do not produce offspring or interbreed because of differences in behavior. A good example is in mating signals or rituals. This does not affect our Brassica because plants don't really have specific behaviors. Geographic isolation is when two populations are geographically divided from each other. The division of these two populations will cause the populations to evolve without each other and become different species. This form of diversity could apply to the Brassica Oleracea if they get geographically isolated. Mechanical isolation is when the two species cannot interbreed because of differences in reproductive organs. They may not fit together or simply may not work. For example, dogs can't mate with cats. In addition, I do not think this would apply to the Brassicas because they do not mate with genitalia. Meiosis and mutations can affect the Brassica Oleracea by making them more diverse. Meiosis is the process of sex cells being made. Meiosis produces a variety of sex cells. In Meiosis, the processes of independent assortment and crossing over changes the chromosomes in each sex cell, causing variation. Mutations make variation possible because no species would ever change without them. Without mutations, no species would have evolved from the common ancestor. Life as we know it, would be vastly different. Mutations can cause the Brassica Oleracea to appear different in the phenotype, or even in the genotype.
3. The part of the Brassica Oleracea that seems to be consistently the same is the thickness of the leaves. Many of the leaves have very similar thicknesses, due too the nature of the plant. Usually, many plants have very similar thicknesses, even if they are not the same species. With that, another thing that seems to be anatomically similar are the reproductive organs inside the plant. We know this because all the plants belong to the same species, Brassica Oleracea. Because they are in the same species, they must be "compatible" with each other to breed, meaning they have the same, if not very similar, reproductive organs.
2. I think that there is variation in the Brassica Oleracea because of the types of reproductive isolation that we have read and learned about. Types and forms of reproductive isolation include temporal isolation, behavioral isolation, geographic isolation, ecological isolation, and mechanical isolation. I will explain in detail and give examples to these types of reproductive isolation, however, there are more possible ways for the Brassica Oleracea to have variation. These additional examples include natural selection, meiosis, mutations, and genetic drift. Natural Selection is the theory thought up by Charles Darwin, which concludes that individual organisms that have adaptations that better suit them for the environment will have higher "fitness", causing the organism to survive and reproduce, hence passing on the trait that better fits them for the environment. This is likely a big factor in variation, because natural selection will "kill" off the organisms with worse fitness, affecting the variation between the species. Temporal isolation prevents different species from having offspring because of their mating season. For example, one species of bird may mate in the summer, while another species may mate in the winter. The species cannot interbreed because of their mating seasons. I do not think temporal isolation applies to the plants because plants do not have mating seasons. Behavioral isolation is when species do not produce offspring or interbreed because of differences in behavior. A good example is in mating signals or rituals. This does not affect our Brassica because plants don't really have specific behaviors. Geographic isolation is when two populations are geographically divided from each other. The division of these two populations will cause the populations to evolve without each other and become different species. This form of diversity could apply to the Brassica Oleracea if they get geographically isolated. Mechanical isolation is when the two species cannot interbreed because of differences in reproductive organs. They may not fit together or simply may not work. For example, dogs can't mate with cats. In addition, I do not think this would apply to the Brassicas because they do not mate with genitalia. Meiosis and mutations can affect the Brassica Oleracea by making them more diverse. Meiosis is the process of sex cells being made. Meiosis produces a variety of sex cells. In Meiosis, the processes of independent assortment and crossing over changes the chromosomes in each sex cell, causing variation. Mutations make variation possible because no species would ever change without them. Without mutations, no species would have evolved from the common ancestor. Life as we know it, would be vastly different. Mutations can cause the Brassica Oleracea to appear different in the phenotype, or even in the genotype.
3. The part of the Brassica Oleracea that seems to be consistently the same is the thickness of the leaves. Many of the leaves have very similar thicknesses, due too the nature of the plant. Usually, many plants have very similar thicknesses, even if they are not the same species. With that, another thing that seems to be anatomically similar are the reproductive organs inside the plant. We know this because all the plants belong to the same species, Brassica Oleracea. Because they are in the same species, they must be "compatible" with each other to breed, meaning they have the same, if not very similar, reproductive organs.
4. I believe the main way plant breeders could get a certain characteristic is through isolation and natural selection.
A way plant breeders can do that is if they geographically isolate different populations of Brassica Oleracea into
different environments. They can do this through things like greenhouses or just cover them to make sure no pollen
from other plants can get to the isolated plants. Another example being, for height, maybe there are even taller plants than
34cm and the plant can no longer receive enough nutrients from the sun or not be visible pollinators.
Through natural selection and mutations, the individuals with a taller height would most likely have an advantage over those that don't.
Through many generations of this happening, the population in the new environment would probably have a taller
height than those in the old environment. Finally, if a plant needed to gain more sunlight, the plant may grow wider,
to soak in more light energy. Farmers can also selectively breed by physically taking the pollen from one plant,
and placing it on the stigma of the other plant. This way is most likely very effective, because the farmer is essentially
manipulating the breeding of the plants.
A way plant breeders can do that is if they geographically isolate different populations of Brassica Oleracea into
different environments. They can do this through things like greenhouses or just cover them to make sure no pollen
from other plants can get to the isolated plants. Another example being, for height, maybe there are even taller plants than
34cm and the plant can no longer receive enough nutrients from the sun or not be visible pollinators.
Through natural selection and mutations, the individuals with a taller height would most likely have an advantage over those that don't.
Through many generations of this happening, the population in the new environment would probably have a taller
height than those in the old environment. Finally, if a plant needed to gain more sunlight, the plant may grow wider,
to soak in more light energy. Farmers can also selectively breed by physically taking the pollen from one plant,
and placing it on the stigma of the other plant. This way is most likely very effective, because the farmer is essentially
manipulating the breeding of the plants.
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