A preliminary study on the effect of turbidity on mitotic index and root growth rate of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms, Family Pontederiaceae) from Laguna de Bay

Date

3-1997

Degree

Bachelor of Science in Biology

College

College of Arts and Sciences (CAS)

Adviser/Committee Chair

Adelina A. Barrion

Abstract

The effect of turbidity on mitotic index and root growth rate of water hyacinth [Eichhornia crassipes (Mart.) Solms] from Laguna de Bay was studied. Twenty-five plants were distributed into five setups each composed of five beakers with dilutions of 0%, 25%, 50%, 75% and 100% lake water. Corresponding turbidities of the five dilutions were 0.000, 0.036, 0.069, 0.089 and 0.162. Turbidity was proportional to the concentration of lake water due to the amount of dissolved and suspended particles present. Results show that the highest root growth rate (0.45 mm/hr) were in dilutions with highest turbidity (75% and 100% LW) and the lowest (0.39 mm/hr) was in the least turbid dilution (0% LW), apparently due to the varying amount of plant usable nutrients present per dilution. Analysis of mitotic indices of root tips of plant samples revealed no variability among dilution effects. This was due to the similarity in size of root tips used in cytological observation (1.0-mm sections), in which it could be said that there was approximately the same number of meristematic cells per root tip. It was then inferred that what was affected by turbidity was the rate of elongation of cells just above the root tips (region of elongation).

Language

English

Location

UPLB Main Library Special Collections Section (USCS)

Call Number

Thesis

Document Type

Thesis

This document is currently not available here.

Share

COinS