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Introduction

This portfolio is a compilation of experiments, research, and worksheets relating to topics

learnt throughout the teaching of this General Science course.

Various assignments included in this portfolio are the drawing of a leaf, the germination

of a red bean seed, mapping feeding relationships of animals in different ecosystems (food

chains and food webs), creating a dichotomous key, making an ecosystems poster, building a

spaghetti tower, finding the base SI units of certain derived units, and biographies of a local and

a global scientist.
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Leaf Lab

Aim: To draw and label the parts of a Leaf.

Apparatus and materials: pencil, paper, ruler, leaf, page.

Method (or Procedure):

1. A leaf was picked from a tree.

2. The leaf was observed before drawing and identifying the parts of the leaf.

3. The leaf was then drawn on a blank page.

4. The parts of the leaf were then labelled.

5. The magnification of the diagram was then calculated.

Results

Picture of a Caimet Leaf

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Diagram of a Caimet Leaf

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Analysis/ Discussion:

A leaf is a flat-shaped plant component that is linked to a stem. Through a process known

as photosynthesis, plants can convert sunlight into energy (food) with the assistance of their leaves.

They are thin so that the sunlight can easily enter their cells, and their flatness aids them in this

duty. The sizes, colors, and forms of leaves vary widely. Additionally, leaves assist the plant in

exhaling carbon dioxide and inhaling oxygen from the atmosphere. This contributes to air

purification and produces the oxygen we breathe.

There are various parts of a leaf that often have various functions. The apex is the tip of

the leaf. The leaf blade is another name for the lamina. The apex, margin, veins, midrib, and base

make up this structure. Photosynthesis takes place in the leaf's large, flat, green region. The leaf

margin is the edge of the leaf. The leaf's midrib extends straight down its center. The leaf is given

structure and strength as a result, enabling it to maintain its shape in the face of the weather. Veins

connect to it. The veins serve as a structural support and transports food and water around the leaf.

The xylem and the phloem are two distinct vein types. The nutrients are carried via the xylem

veins through the leaf and to the plant. The plant's phloem transports food energy, which is solar

energy that has been transformed by photosynthesis. The leaf's connection to the branch is

established via a little stem called the petiole. The petiole facilitates the movement of nutrients and

water from the roots to the leaves and aids the plant in transferring the energy produced in the leaf

to other parts of the plant. A leaf's connection to the stem is at its base. At the base of the petiole,

the leaf base bears two tiny structures that resemble leaves called stipules. Stipules are typically

seen in pairs.
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Precautions:

1. A different type or larger leaf should be chosen to draw so that all the parts of the leaf are

visible and easy to distinguish.

Conclusion:

A leaf is a plant's lateral protrusion that is green and flat. They vary in size, color, and shape

but are typically flattened and thin. They are the primary organ involved in photosynthesis because

they contain chlorophyll and tiny pores called stomata that allow for gas exchange and

transpiration.
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Germination Lab

Aim: To observe and measure the growth of a germinating seed over sixty (60) days.

Apparatus and materials: a clear cup, a red bean, napkins, water, soil, a plant pot, a ruler.

Method (or Procedure):

1. A napkin was soaked with water and then placed in a clear cup.

2. The red bean seed was then placed in the damp napkin in the cup.

3. Upon its first sprout, the initial growth was measured.

4. As the shoot began to grow more, it was transplanted into a cup with soil and then into a

plant pot.

5. Measurements were taken every five (5) days for a period of sixty (60) days.

Results:

Day 1 First Sprout First Leaf

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Transplanted in a cup with soil Transplanted in a pot with soil.

Time (Days) Height (cm)

1 0
5 4.8
10 5.1
15 6
20 6.3
25 7.2
30 8
35 9.4
45 11
50 12.7
55 14.5
60 15
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Analysis/ Discussion:

The fundamental process by which many plant species develop from a single seed into a

plant is known as seed germination. This method has an impact on crop quality and quantity.

Angiosperm or gymnosperm seeds emerging into seedlings and sprouts is a typical example of

seed germination.

During the early stages of germination, seeds absorb water quickly, which produces

expansion and optimum temperature-induced loosening of the seed coat. This stage is referred to

as ingestion. To start the maturation, enzymes are initiated. The seed activates its inner biology

and begins to produce proteins, breathe, and digest the food that has been accumulated. This is the

transitory stage of seed germination. As the seed coat ruptures, the radicle can emerge and grow

into a primary root. The shoot starts to rise after the radicle and plumule have developed. At the

final step of seed germination, the seed cell elongates, splits, and activates its metabolism to create

the seedling.

A seed needs to meet a number of requirements in order to develop into a seedling, and

eventually into a plant. A substantial amount of water is necessary for the germination of seeds.

Some seeds are so arid that they require to acquire a lot of water relative to its dry mass. Water is

necessary for the germination of seeds. It helps by providing protoplasm with the hydration it

requires for survival, providing dissolved oxygen to budding embryos, softening seed coats, and

increasing seed porosity. Furthermore, it helps the seed to burst and changes insoluble food to

soluble form so that the embryo can absorb it. Oxygen is a vital and necessary energy resource for

seed growth. The seed uses aerobic respiration up to the point it can create its own green leaves

and should operate metabolically throughout germination. The oxygen found in earth granules'

pores will be used up by the seed if it is submerged too firmly. A seed must be between 25 and 30
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°C in order to germinate. Different seeds require different temperatures to germinate. Different

needs for greater or lesser temperatures within 5 and 40 °C apply to certain seeds. Darkness or

light might serve as an environmental trigger. Many seeds do not begin to grow until they are

exposed to sunshine.

Precautions:

1. The red bean seed should be soaked overnight to promote germination.

2. The red bean plant was initially transplanted into a cup with soil and placed inside of a

room, where air-conditioning was noted. The plant should be placed near to a window to

get adequate sunlight and to main the needed temperature for growth.

3. Upon transplantation into the bigger pot with soil, nutrients should be added to the soil to

promote growth of the red bean plant.

Conclusion:

In the presence of moisture, air, and light at the appropriate temperatures, seeds have the

capacity to sprout and grow over time.

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Feeding Relationships
Backyard Food Chain Marine Food Chain

Owl Orca

Quaternary
Consumer

Snake Seal

Tertiary
Consumer

Bluebird Silverfish

Secondary
Consumer

Grasshopper Krill

Primary
Consumer

Grass Plankton

Producer
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Freshwater Food Chain Rainforest Food Chain

Snake Tiger

Quaternary
Consumer

Kingfisher Snake

Tertiary
Consumer

Minnow Jacamars

Secondary
Consumer

Insect (larvae) Butterflies

Primary
Consumer

Pondweed Flowers

Producer

A food chain is the sequence of actions in an ecosystem where one living organism consumes
another organism, which is then consumed by yet another, larger organism.
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Tropical Forest Food Web

Eagle

Snake

Frog

Deer
Mouse

Grasshopper

Tree Grass

A food web is comprised of numerous linked food networks. A food web and a food chain are
comparable, but a food web is significantly bigger.
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Dichotomous Key

The Dichotomous Key is a tool used by scientists to categorize all living objects in the
environment, including fungi, animals, and trees. In order to make the procedure for identification
simpler, it is typically presented as a flowchart with two choices on each branch.

Number of Plant Picture of Plant

1

3
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7
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9
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Ecosystems
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Spaghetti Tower
In this activity we were tasked with building a tall tower (taller than 12 inches) using 30 lengths
of spaghetti and 2 meters of masking tape to support the weight of 1 big marshmallow.
Before

After
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The marshmallow task was more difficult than I had anticipated. I underestimated how

tough the assignment would be because of the resources offered, such as dried spaghetti and

masking tape, as well as the simplicity of the instructions and purpose. My team and I found the

task to be quite difficult to finish. We started out with a strategy and a basic design of the structure

we wanted, but as the task progressed, it became apparent that implementing our concept would

be more challenging. So, we began to adapt in order to complete the task. The largest difficulty we

encountered was stabilizing our structure. The base was secure when we originally started

construction, but as we increased elevation, it proceeded to become unstable. The building began

to lean as there was no support at the end to maintain it upright. Overall, I misjudged the challenge

and struggled mightily to keep the building upright.

A structure is stable when loads are applied, according to the definition of stability. When

under any pressure, a stable structure is able to keep its shape. When the marshmallow was added

to the structure, it did not change shape or succumb to the pressure of the load, therefore it can be

said that the structure is stable.

Spaghetti is thin and brittle. Due to the limited amount of spaghetti and the goal of creating

the tallest possible tower, we were not able to reinforce the structure properly causing it to lean.

Also, we were under the false assumption that the marshmallow was a light object but in reality,

it was heavier than that of the structure and thus difficult to hold up. While the tower remained

intact, we noted that there could be room for improvement.

In order to make the structure steadier, more spaghetti should be added to reinforce the

walls of the structure. The base of the structure should also be properly reinforced by adding more

spaghetti and tape. A good base structure would be squared and reinforced into triangles. Also,

different shapes can be used at the top of the structure e.g., triangular or circular shapes.
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Finding the Base SI Units of Derived Quantities

The metric system that serves as the industry standard for numbers is known as the International
System of Units (SI). In the growth of science and technology, SI units are essential. It consists of
seven basic units that define twenty-two derived units.
Derived Quantity Derived Unit Symbol Base SI Units
Force Newton N kgms-2, or kgm/s2
Pressure Pascal Pa kgm−1s−2, or N/m 2
Energy Joule J kgm²/s², or Nm
Power Watt W kgm2s−3, or J/s
Frequency Hertz H 1/s or s−1
Electric Charge Coulomb C As
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Local Scientist

Courtenay Bartholomew
Doctor, scientist, and author Courtenay Felix Bartholomew was born in Trinidad and

Tobago in 1931 and passed away on May 7, 2021. The Medical Research Foundation of Trinidad

and Tobago was founded by him, and he served as its director. In addition to his involvement in

HIV/AIDS research, he is remembered for having identified the first AIDS patient in the English-

speaking Caribbean. He oversaw research on retroviruses with US institutions as well as HIV

vaccine trials.

Port of Spain, Trinidad and Tobago, is where Courtenay Bartholomew was raised. He went

to Nelson Street Boys' RC School as well as St. Mary's College. He was interested in biology and

chemistry but detested physics. He wanted to be a doctor. The two individuals who motivated him

were Dr. Aldwin Gerard Francis and his own uncle, who had the same aspirations of becoming a

doctor but had to give up his ambitions because of racism in Canada. Bartholomew earned his

medical degree in 1960 from University College Dublin, where he studied internal medicine. The

Royal College of Physicians of Edinburgh awarded him a specialist degree in gastroenterology in

1964, making him the first West Indian to earn such a degree. He earned his medical doctorate

from the National University of Ireland in 1965.

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The University of the West Indies hired Bartholomew as its first lecturer in medicine in

1967 at the St. Augustine Campus. He was appointed as the University of the West Indies' first

professor of Medicine in 1977. Bartholomew studied AIDS and HIV. He made the initial AIDS

diagnosis in the English-speaking Caribbean. He conducted retrovirus research and HIV vaccine

trials with American academic institutions. Also, he researched internal illnesses, poison from

scorpion stings, severe pancreatitis, and Hepatitis A and B. He was the first local doctor to be

admitted without an exam to the Royal College of Physicians in London. The Royal Colleges of

Ireland, Edinburgh, and London had awarded him fellowships.

He championed AIDS education for the general public and served on the Scientific

Advisory Committee for the Global AIDS Foundation. Bartholomew was a supporter of

encouraging literacy and library use. He emphasized the value of instructors, saying that they are

"there to advise and motivate," and he challenged students to "be good at anything you do." He

also urged scientists to "be inquisitive to want to learn more.

For "long and outstanding service," the Government of Trinidad and Tobago bestowed

upon him the Chaconia Medal (Gold), and in 2017 he received the country's highest honor, the

Order of the Republic of Trinidad and Tobago (ORTT). For his remarkable contributions to

medicine, he was given the International Human Retrovirology Society Prize (1991) and the

highest honor, Honorary Fellowship of the Faculty of Medicine, from University College Dublin

(2004).
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Global Scientist

Marie Curie
Marie Curie, previously referred to as Maria Sklodowska, was born on November 7, 1867,

in Warsaw, and she died on July 4, 1934, in Savoy, France, following a brief medical condition.

She obtained some scientific training from her father in addition to her normal schooling. She

became part of an organization of students planning a rebellion and determined that would be ideal

to flee Warsaw, a city that was then in the part of Poland dominated by Russia, for Cracow, which

was then under Austrian rule. She relocated to Paris in 1891 to finish her schooling at the Sorbonne,

where she earned degrees in both mathematics and physics within the same year. She wed physics

professor Pierre Curie in 1895. She succeeded her husband as the director of the physics laborat ory

at the Sorbonne after the unexpected death of her husband in 1906, obtained a PhD in science in

1903, and was the first woman to hold the position of professor of general physics in the science

faculty. She was also given the responsibility of leading the 1914-founded Curie Laboratory at the

University of Paris' Radium Institute.

The Curies conducted exceptional investigation and evaluation that led to the division of

polonium, which shares the name of Marie's birthplace, and radium as a result of Henri Becquerel's

1896 detection of radioactivity. Mme. Curie developed methods for extracting sufficient radium
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from radioactive waste to allow for its classification and in-depth analysis of its properties,

particularly its therapeutic potential in cancer treatment. Over the course of her existence, Madame

Curie actively promoted radium, and in the midst of World War I, she dedicated herself to this

healing endeavor with the assistance of her daughter Irene. She never abandoned her love of

science and made a big contribution to the establishment of a radiation lab in the town where she

grew up.

Mme. Curie was respected and revered by scientists all around the globe for her poise,

humility, and reserved attitude. She was a member of the League of Nations' Committee on

Intellectual Cooperation since 1922, and she sat on the Conseil du Physique Solvay from 1911 till

her passing. She is the author of numerous papers that have appeared in scholarly journals,

including the well-known Traité de Radioactivité (1910), L'Isotopie et les Éléments Isotopes,

Recherches sur les Substances Radioactives (1904), and many others.

The numerous awards Mme. Curie has received highlight the importance of her

achievements. Numerous honorary degrees in law, medicine, and science as well as honorary

fellowships from prestigious academic institutions throughout the world were given to her. She

and her husband each got a portion of the 1903 Nobel Prize in Physics for their research into the

spontaneous radiation that Becquerel, who received the other half of the award, had discovered.

She won a second Nobel Prize in Chemistry in 1911 for her research on radioactivity. She and her

husband were also co-winners of the Davy Medal of the Royal Society in 1903, and President

Harding of the United States presented her with one gram of radium in 1921 as a token of his

admiration for her services to science on behalf of American women.

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and-prefixes-chart/ap6899/

Dichotomous Keys | BioNinja. (n.d.). [Link]

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Ecosystem- Structure, Functions, Units and Types of Ecosystem. (2022, December 16). BYJUS.

[Link]

Food Chain: Definition, Types, Examples, FAQs. (2022, June 20). BYJUS.

[Link]

Heslop-Harrison, J. (1999, May 3). Germination | Description, Process, Diagram, Stages, Types,

& Facts. Encyclopedia Britannica. [Link]

Icons. (n.d.). [Link]

Leaf: Structure, Types, Functions with Questions and Videos. (2020, May 20). Toppr-guides.

[Link]

Marie Curie the scientist | Biog, facts & quotes. (n.d.). Marie Curie.

[Link]

Mukherjee, S. (2023, February 2). Parts of a Leaf, Their Structure and Functions With Diagram.

Science Facts. [Link]

Seed germination - Process, Necessity, and its Major Factors. (2021, March 10). BYJUS.

[Link]

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osperm%20or%20gymnosperm.
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