Advanced Higher Biology investigation ideas?

Rheadrox

I know this is a bit specific, but i was going to do my biology investigation on the effect of medication on enzymes, the problem is i have no idea what medication to choose, or how much!
Any advice?
(also, if you could suggest any other easyish investigations that'll get me an adequate grade that would be good, it took me weeks to come up with just that, and if that one doesn't pan out then I'm stuffed =/)

did you come up with anything?
im just starting mine AHHHHHHH
and dont know what to do it on.

hows yours ging?

Reply 2

i did mine on the effects of salt on crops like wheat.
dont even attempt anything with bacteria, unless you have the proper equipment. you need university level labs, although im sure the friendly boyd orr building biology staff would help with that. in my experience people began faking results because the equipment provided by the school budget was awful.
if you can get fruit flies that would get you a good mark. i have a first year biology lab manual with loads of advanced higher type experiments. so if anyone needs suggestions.....

Reply 3

Allanax182

I neeed suggestions!!?? I am reallly peed off cos i was planning on doing an investigation on effect of antibiotics on bacterial growth but someone else in my class is doing it so i have to reconsider... really have no idea where to start :\ Any suggestions would be reeally appreciated, any at all :biggrin:

x

Reply 4

Allanax182

I neeed suggestions!!?? I am reallly peed off cos i was planning on doing an investigation on effect of antibiotics on bacterial growth but someone else in my class is doing it so i have to reconsider... really have no idea where to start :\ Any suggestions would be reeally appreciated, any at all :biggrin:

x

i did the effects of catechol oxidase on apple browning.

tested apples with like, vitamin C (lemon juice, orange juice) malic acid, and citric acid.
used a colorimeter to determine the browning.

quite simple. alot to test on. and alot of references to get online.

not sure how i did, but got a B overall so wasnt too terrible anyway :smile:

Reply 5

Original post by Allanax182

I neeed suggestions!!?? I am reallly peed off cos i was planning on doing an investigation on effect of antibiotics on bacterial growth but someone else in my class is doing it so i have to reconsider... really have no idea where to start :\ Any suggestions would be reeally appreciated, any at all :biggrin:

x

fruit flies would be the best idea, i have a whole lab manual with the experimental process for it and its at first year biology level which is close to advanced higher level.

im sure your school could order them in. the results would be good and there is alot to write about as you would explore phenotypes of their wings.

from my experience this would be more interesting and alot more suited to your school labs than bacteria, bacteria will ruin your day, just one dust particle and its ruined.

Reply 6

Original post by robin22391

fruit flies would be the best idea, i have a whole lab manual with the experimental process for it and its at first year biology level which is close to advanced higher level.

im sure your school could order them in. the results would be good and there is alot to write about as you would explore phenotypes of their wings.

from my experience this would be more interesting and alot more suited to your school labs than bacteria, bacteria will ruin your day, just one dust particle and its ruined.

Oh god, I can see it now, a swarm of fruit flies escaping and destroying the science department :tongue:

Reply 7

Original post by sandys1000

Oh god, I can see it now, a swarm of fruit flies escaping and destroying the science department :tongue:

you anaesthetise them with a chemical first and then you study them, im sure i have seen advanced higher reports of fruit fly studies.

Reply 8

Original post by robin22391

you anaesthetise them with a chemical first and then you study them, im sure i have seen advanced higher reports of fruit fly studies.

Fair enough, I'm not sure my school would go for it though. We're doing ours at a local college anyway, they still haven't sent the list of possible topics.

Reply 9

Top Dog

10

Gonna dig this thread up again.
I was thinking about either the apple browning one or doing something involving the effectiveness of suncream but I don't know how to do that, any ideas?

Reply 10

Top Dog

10

Original post by LouisVuitton43

i did the effects of catechol oxidase on apple browning.

tested apples with like, vitamin C (lemon juice, orange juice) malic acid, and citric acid.
used a colorimeter to determine the browning.

quite simple. alot to test on. and alot of references to get online.

not sure how i did, but got a B overall so wasnt too terrible anyway :smile:

Can ask you a bit about that?

Did it work well?
Did you test different varieties of apple?
How did you use the colourimeter, did you centrifuge the apple first?

Thanks for any help you can give!

Reply 11

Original post by Top Dog

Can ask you a bit about that?

Did it work well?
Did you test different varieties of apple?
How did you use the colourimeter, did you centrifuge the apple first?

Thanks for any help you can give!

yeah it worked fine.

i did 2 types of apple, red and granny smith
and then ascorbic, malic and citric acids to find best inhibiors
tested it with lemon juice and orange juice (squeezed) (then tested their pH and volume of vitamin C) to find best inhibitors to use in a fruit salad

i used the colorimeter to test how browning occured, so zeroed it with the juice from the apple, and then every 10 seconds recorded the reading.

i didnt centrifuge it, didnt need to. was lucky.
i mushed up the apple, and put it through a sieve cloth with sand? (dont know the name) and there were no bits

it was a good wee fast one :smile:

, did lots of expirements really quickly and cheaply.

it may not have been the most fun but since we only have 4 weeks to do it in it seemed the most practicle.

i dont know how i did for it, ive emailed my teacher to find out, he should get back to me within a few weeks :smile:

Reply 12

TKD-KID-94

Original post by robin22391

fruit flies would be the best idea, i have a whole lab manual with the experimental process for it and its at first year biology level which is close to advanced higher level.

im sure your school could order them in. the results would be good and there is alot to write about as you would explore phenotypes of their wings.

from my experience this would be more interesting and alot more suited to your school labs than bacteria, bacteria will ruin your day, just one dust particle and its ruined.

Hey, thats sounds interesting, im doing advanced biology this year but im stuck for ideas, what is the book you got called so i can look it up thanks :biggrin:

.

Reply 13

Original post by TKD-KID-94

Hey, thats sounds interesting, im doing advanced biology this year but im stuck for ideas, what is the book you got called so i can look it up thanks :biggrin:

.

Ow, my eyes! :smile:

Reply 14

Original post by TKD-KID-94

Hey, thats sounds interesting, im doing advanced biology this year but im stuck for ideas, what is the book you got called so i can look it up thanks :biggrin:

.

oh i think its a university book so you wont find it anywhere else, if you live in glasgow you could ask the glasgow university for the first year lab manual, but i will try to get mine and tell you everything later today.

or i could try scanning it.....we'll see.

(edited 13 years ago)

Reply 15

red_roses123

I am doing my investigation on the effects that different conditions have pn the plasma membrane of a red cabbage. so i started by putting the red cabbage samples in acid and alkali but then after leaving them in overnight i realised that red cabbage is a natural indicator so instead of seeing a different intensity in the test tubes a saw red in the acid and different greens and blues in the alkali and i was meant to measure the absorbance in a colorimeter but because the colour in the test tube was not due to the leakage of the plasma membrane i cannot record my results. So does anyone have any ideas on what i could do, or any other vegetable i could use. Thanks.

Reply 16

Original post by red_roses123

I am doing my investigation on the effects that different conditions have pn the plasma membrane of a red cabbage. so i started by putting the red cabbage samples in acid and alkali but then after leaving them in overnight i realised that red cabbage is a natural indicator so instead of seeing a different intensity in the test tubes a saw red in the acid and different greens and blues in the alkali and i was meant to measure the absorbance in a colorimeter but because the colour in the test tube was not due to the leakage of the plasma membrane i cannot record my results. So does anyone have any ideas on what i could do, or any other vegetable i could use. Thanks.

Is beetroot not the classic?

Reply 17

red_roses123

Original post by sandys1000

Is beetroot not the classic?

I coudnt find any fresh beeteroot at the supermarkets though so thats why i decided to go for red cabbage.

Reply 18

Original post by red_roses123

I coudnt find any fresh beeteroot at the supermarkets though so thats why i decided to go for red cabbage.

Well I've done a smaller scale version of this with beetroot before and it worked well. I'm sure you could find some somewhere, a veg shop or something?

Reply 19