Student Blog Post Assignment #5: Living or Not

Student Blog Post Assignment #5
     Since the planting of our brassica oleracea, they have changed quite a lot in appearance, most notably size. When we planted them as seeds they were about a tenth of an inch in length and now two of them(plants A and B) are over two feet tall. Although there is clearly evidence of parasitism, in particular on plant C, the plants have well adapted to their environment, one piece of evidence that they are alive. Another piece of evidence is that while it may not be apparent based solely on looks, the romanesco plants are made up of cells. How many cells make up the plant is something you can measure that isn't just mass or height. Finally, you can tell our plants are living because they take nutrients from the soil. Like all organisms, they need certain things to sustain their growth and health. This qualifies them as living things because objects don't require nutrients.