Seed Update #3

It has been about a month since we transferred our bean plants to the garden and the plants have been progressing fairly well, having grown taller stems, broader leaves and more white flowers.

Our bean plants need many substances and nutrients to survive, such as water. Water is essential to all living things on Earth and plants are no exception, so in order to survive, our plants must partake in the water cycle. When precipitation occurs, much of the water that falls ends up deep in the soil and the water is then absorbed by our plants, through their roots. Additionally, our plants tend to "sweat" and release water back into the atmosphere, in a process called Transpiration. The broad leaves that are attached to our plant assist in Transpiration, by carrying the water the plant transpires and allowing them to evaporate. However, our plants aren't limited to just the water cycle, as they also participate in the carbon cycle. Through photosynthesis, decaying organisms and gases in the air, our plants obtain Carbon Dioxide and use it to make energy. When the plants are consumed by consumers (like bunnies or humans), the energy they acquired is passed down to the consumer. In an attempt to procure more sunlight for photosynthesis, our plants have grown taller and just a tiny bit closer to the sun. Another cycle our plants take part in is the nitrogen cycle. In the nitrogen cycle, atmospheric nitrogen goes through a process called bacterial nitrogen fixation and is turned into compounds, such as ammonia, in the soil. These compounds are then absorbed by our plants, allowing them to make proteins, which will be given to the consumers that eat the plant. The white flowers on our plants will eventually become beans and the proteins in the plant are held inside the flowers (the beans).