Viability of Lima Beans Introduction: Lima beans are edible flat whitish beans and are good to use for any experiment because they represent the human body in that they both go through all of the same processes of growth and development. This lab uses lima beans in order to determine whether they were viable or not. If a bean is viable, it means that it is alive: able to grow and develop. The two ways to find out whether a bean is viable or not, are a tetrazolium test and germination test.

Tetrazolium is a chemical that turns red in the presence of hydrogen ions. All living organisms release hydrogen ions every day and therefore, it was possible to see whether the lima beans were viable or not using tetrazolium. This is a result of metabolic activity. Germination, the other possible test, is the process where beans or spores sprout and begin to grow. Both of these ways test whether the organism has a metabolism or not, which are the chemical processes that occur within a living organism in order to maintain life.

Problem: The lima bean viability lab tested for viability in two distinct bean types through a germination and tetrazolium procedure. Experimental Design: See protocol. Prediction: If the lima beans are tested with germination and tetrazolium tests, then 25 beans out of the 25 beans of both types that were tested will be viable because they are all alive. Results: |TETRAZOLIUM TEST |TOTAL NUMBER OF SEEDS USED |NUMBER OF

SEEDS TURNING PINK |% SEEDS SHOWING VIABIITY | |TYPE A | | | | |1 Carolyn and Kelly |25 |25 |100 | |2 Julie and Emily |22 |22 |100 | |3 Annie and Meg |24 |24 |100 | |4 Thomas and Nathan |25 |25 |100 | |5 Mazin andJessie and Robin |25 |25 |100 | |6 Lauren and Henry |25 |25 |100 | |7 Carolyn and Michaela |25 |25 |100 | |8 Ryan ad Bernadette |23 |23 |100 | | | | | | |1 Kaylegh and Shannon |25 |25 |100 | |2 Marissa and Jasmine |25 |25 |100 | |3 Meghan and Nyah and Jennie |25 |25 |100 | |4 Ishani and Morgan |25 |25 |100 | |5 Virginia and Katie |25 |25 |100 | |6 Briana, Carly, and Elizabeth |25 |25 |100 | |7 Alex and Austin |25 |25 |100 | |8 Jimmy and Christina |24 |24 |100 | |9 | | | | |TYPE B | | | | |1 Carolyn and Kelly 25 |0 |0 | |2 Annie and Meg |25 |0 |0 | |3 Thomas and Nathan |25 |0 |0 | |4 Mazin, Jessie, and Robin |25 |0 |0 | |5 Lauren and Henry |25 |0 |0 | |6 Carolyn and Michaela |25 |0 |0 | |7 Ryan and Bernadette |25 |0 |0 | |8 Julie and Emily |25 |0 |0 | | | | | | |1 Jasmine and Marissa |25 |0 |0 | |2 Katie and Virginia |25 |25 |100 | |3 Elizabeth, Carly, and Briana |25 |0 |0 | |4 Kayleigh and Shannon |25 |0 |0 | |5 Alexand Austin |25 |0 |0 | |6Jimmy and Christina |25 |0 |0 | |7 Ishani and Morgan |25 |0 |0 | |8 Meghan, Nylah and Jennie |25 |0 |0 | |9 | | | | |GERMINATION TEST |TOTAL NUMBER OF SEEDS USED |NUMBER OF SEEDS GERMINATING |% SEEDS SHOWING VIABILITY | |TYPE A | | | | |1 Meg and Annie |25 |24 |96 |2 Bernadette and Ryan |23 |23 |100 | |3 Michaela and Carolyn |25 |25 |100 | |4 Nathan and Thomas |25 |23 |92 | |5 Henry an Lauren |25 |24 |96 | |6 Jessie and Mazin and Robin |25 |17 |68 | |7 Kelly and Carolyn |25 |23 |92 | |8 Emily andJulie |25 |25 |100 | |  | | | | |1 Jasmine and Marissa |25 |22 |88 | |2 Christina and Jimmy |24 |24 |100 | |3 Austin and Alex |24 |23 |96 | |4 Morgan and Ishani |25 |22 |88 | |5 Elizabeth, Carly, and Briana |25 |25 |100 | |6 Meghan and Nylah and Jennie |25 |25 |100 | |7 Shannon and Kayleigh |25 |23 |92 | |8 Virginia and Katie |25 |24 |96 | |9 | | | | |TYPE B | | | | |1 Meg and Annie |25 |0 |0 | |2 Bernadette and Ryan |25 |0 |0 | |3 Michaela and Carolyn |25 0 |0 | |4 Nathan and Thomas |25 |0 |0 | |5 Henry and Lauren |25 |0 |0 | |6 Jessie, Mazin, and Robin |25 |0 |0 | |7 Kelly and Carolyn |25 |0 |0 | |8 Emily and Julie |25 |0 |0 | |  | | | | |1 Kayleigh and Shannon |25 |0 |0 | |2 Austin and Alex |25 |0 |0 | |3 Morgan and Ishani |25 |0 |0 | |4 Elizabeth, Carly, an Briana |25 |0 |0 | |5 Meghan, Nylah and Jennie |25 |0 |0 | |6 Virginia and Katie |25 |0 |0 | |7 Christina and Jimmy |25 |0 |0 | |8 Jasmine and Marissa |25 |0 |0 | | | | | | Summary of Data: From the results, it is evident that in the tetrazolium all of Type A were alive because 100% were viable, with one exception, where as Type B had 0% that were viable. In the germination test, almost all of the Type A beans were proven viable while 0% of Type B beans were alive. Discussion: In the tetrazolium test, all of Type A beans with one exception, turned pink after coming in contact with the tetrazolium. This means that they were viable and alive because tetrazolium is a chemical that turns red in the presence of hydrogen ions and all organisms emit hydrogen.

The exception is most likely an error made by the group, because it seems odd that only one group’s test showed different results. Another explanation could be that the beans were not fully dead after being cooked. In order to make sure this doesn’t happen, a more reliable method could be used in making sure that the lima beans are fully dead which would provide us with more accurate results. The Type B beans did not turn red; this is because they had been boiled and cooked. Therefore, they were not viable. As for the germination test, the Type A beans began to sprout showing growth, which proves they are viable. However, the Type B beans showed minimal results for viability and the chance to germinate.

This is because of the same reason I the tetrazolium test. The beans in Type A were still alive, however not every bean even if it is alive, is able to germinate. In Type B, the beans were dead, which shows why they didn’t show any sign whatsoever of germination. It was difficult to just tell by sight, which beans germinated and some could have been missed, so this could account for not all of the beans in the results being viable. Conclusion: The results partially agreed with the original prediction because all of the Type A beans were viable. Yet, the Type B beans were not because they were previously boiled and therefore didn’t have metabolisms, which do these processes of maintaining life.