Date: November 5th 2016

Name: Sang Kee

Biology 12 Unit 1 Assignment 2: Scientific Method Virtual Lab

Instructions:
Please complete the Scientific Method Virtual Lab.
External Link:
http://www.mhhe.com/biosci/genbio/virtual_labs_2K8/labs/BL_01/index.html
Read the information and procedures provided in the lab and complete both the table and journal
questions (provided below). Please note you should be answering your questions in detail, by
providing support in the form of data values (external or from the lab) and scientific
information/research to explain your statements.
Table/Graph Section:
Table 1: ____________________________________________________________
Corn Variety

Level of ECB
Infestation

Growing Pot
1 Yield

Growing Pot
2 Yield

Growing
Pot 3 Yield

Average
Yield

Journal Questions:
1. Describe the effects of the ECB infestations you used. Were all corn varieties equally
effective at controlling the ECB? How do you know?
The effects of the ECB infestations were all different. Not all corn varieties were equally
effective at controlling the ECB. We know because we can see the result after the growth and we
can see the big changes.
2. If there was no ECB infestation in a certain year, would a farmer gain or lose financially
by planting Bt corn? Explain why?
If there was no ECB infestation, a farmer would probably lose financially by planting Bt corn.
This is because they have no need to buy Bt corn because there are no bugs that are eating their
corn. They are wasting extra money on Bt corn when they do not need it.
3. What might happen if Bt corn affects non-target organisms such as beneficial insects or
harmless insects?
It could possibly cause a chaos in the ecosystem and it would destroy many organisms life.
4. What might happen if ECB became resistant to Bt?

If ECB became resistant to Bt, it would affect the outcome of the harvest as they would destroy
most of the crop. There would not be enough healthy crops produced and could cause an
economic crisis.
5. Discuss possible benefits and drawbacks of a transgenic organism such as Bt corn?
Some benefits include the protection from the ECB and it is safe for humans, animals and other
insects. Some drawbacks could be that the ECB could grow resistant to the Bt and if Bt somehow
transfers to other plants it might affect their growth rate.
6. A farmer planted a field of Bt 123 corn and wants to estimate the yield in terms of
bushels per acre. He counts 22 ears in 1/1000 of an acre. He determines that each ear has
about 700 kernels on average. He also knows that a bushel contains about 90,000 kernels
on average. What is the farmer's estimate of yield in bushels/acre?
22 ears x 1000 / acre x 700 kernels / ear x 1 bushel / 90,000 kernels = 170 bushels / acre
Table 1: Average Yield for each seed variety at no, low, and high infestation levels
Seed Variety
BT 123

BT 456

Golden

Super Harvest

Level of
ECB
Infestation
None

Pot 1
Yield

Pot 2
Yield

Pot 3
Yield

Average
Yield

160.1g

164.8g

164.2g

163.0g

Low

164.4g

162.2g

168.3g

165.0g

High

155.1g

163.0g

163.9g

160.7g

None

190.0g

183.2g

184.8g

186.0g

Low

164.0g

162.6g

168.3g

165.0g

High

157.3g

157.0g

159.0g

157.8g

None

181.6g

182.8g

189.8g

184.7g

Low

177.9g

171.2g

170.6g

173.2g

High

135.4g

139.6g

138.3g

137.8g

None

164.1g

164.3g

161.9g

164.4g

Low

159.1g

155.0g

157.5g

157.2g

High

125.5g

129.0g

130.0g

128.2g

Table 2: % Reduction in yield for each seed variety at high levels of infestation
(transfer data on average yield with no infestation and high infestation from Table 1 to Table 2)
Seed Variety
BT 123

Avg. Yield with

No Infestation
163.0g

Avg. Yield with

High Infestation
160.7g

% Reduction
In Yield
1.41%

BT 456

186.0g

157.8g

15.16%

Golden

184.7g

137.8g

25.39%

Super Harvest

164.4g

128.2g

22.02%