Clustered Stomates in Begonia: An Exercise in Data Collection & Statistical Analysis of Biological Space

• Published in: The American biology teacher Vol. 69; no. 2; pp. 106 - 108
• Main Authors: Joann M. Lau, Korn, Robert W.
• Format: Journal Article
• Language: English
• Published: Reston National Association of Biology Teachers 01-02-2007; University of California Press; University of California Press Books Division
• Subjects: Arithmetic mean; Begonias; Biological analysis; Biological Sciences; Biology; Children & youth; College Science; College students; Data Collection; Data entry; Fingernails; Goodness of Fit; Graphs; High School Students; How-To-Do-It; Laboratories; Laboratory Equipment; Life sciences; Mathematical statistics; Microscope slides; Microscopes; Middle School Students; Middle Schools; Numbers; Plants (Botany); Poisson distribution; Science; Science Education; Science Instruction; Scientific Concepts; Spatial Ability; Statistical Analysis; Statistical variance; Statistics (Mathematics); Stomata; Study and teaching; Teaching Methods; Technology; United States
• ISSN: 0002-7685; 1938-4211
• DOI: 10.1662/0002-7685%282007%2969%5B106%3ACSIBAE%5D2.0.CO%3B2

In this article, the authors present a laboratory exercise in data collection and statistical analysis in biological space using clustered stomates on leaves of "Begonia" plants. The exercise can be done in middle school classes by students making their own slides and seeing imprints of cells, or at the high school level through collecting data of number of stomates per cluster and graphing the results, or in a college laboratory by comparing collected data to an expected Poisson distribution and doing a [chi][squared] test for goodness of fit. To make this exercise more visual, graphs can be made plotting stomatal cluster size on the x-axis (abscissa) and the number of cases found on the y-axis (ordinate). Since the techniques used in this exercise are relatively simple, it is not difficult for teachers to meet the "National Science Education Standards" on Inquiry and Life Science Concepts. Competence in the use of the microscope and handling minimal statistical procedures were probably common experiences in their college work as were exploring the concepts behind the use of simple biological statistics. However, the meaning of types of spatial arrangements may be more difficult if taken beyond the introductory level because of the mathematics required. (Contains 1 figure and 3 tables.)