Design and describe below any experiment you can think of that would allow you t

Question

Design and describe below any experiment you can think of that would allow you to determine if a pile of seeds from a random plant species are alive without(1) dumping water on them and waiting. (2) scoring, slicing, or cutting them open in any way. No tetrazolium stain test. Can viability be shown by proving that the seeds are performing some type of respiration like photosynthesis, photorespiration, or any other form? Design and describe below any experiment you can think of that would allow you to determine if a pile of seeds from a random plant species are alive without(1) dumping water on them and waiting. (2) scoring, slicing, or cutting them open in any way. No tetrazolium stain test. Can viability be shown by proving that the seeds are performing some type of respiration like photosynthesis, photorespiration, or any other form?

Explanation / Answer

Seed viability can be determined by determining the respiration rate. Stored seeds use up their sugar during respiration.

For the experiment, seeds are put in a test tube containing calcium hydroxide , a chemical that can absorb carbon dioxide. The test tube is plugged with water and inverted over a beaker containing water. There is sufficient space between the cotton plug and the water in the beaker below. As respiration takes place, the released carbon dioxide gets absorbed by calcium hydroxide. As a result, the amount of air in the test tube gets decreased and water rises in the sealed test tube.

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