1. Simulated Lab Relationships & Biodiversity
Botana curus is a valuable plant because it produces Curol, a compound used for treating certain kinds of cancer. Curol can not be produced in the laboratory.
Botana curus grows very slowly and is on the endangered species list, so its ability to provide curol in large quantities is limited.

2. Related Species
Species that are closely related to Botana curus are likely to produce the important substance curol. Therefore we need to identify closely related species.
Your task is to examine three species (X, Y and Z) and determine how closely related they are to Botana curus. The plant that is most closely related to Botana curus might also produce Curol.

3. Compare Plants
Compare the structural characteristics (colors, sizes of the parts of the plants) of the plant samples.
Record your observations in Table 1.

4. Compare Seeds
Compare the structural characteristics of the seed samples.
Record your observations in Table 1.

5. Compare Stem Structures
Botana curus
Species X
Species Y
Species Z
Compare the structural characteristics of the stem samples. State whether the arrangement of the bundles of conducting tissue is scattered or circular. Examples are in the lab packet. Record your observations in Table 1.

6. Hypothesis Answer the following questions in your packet.
1. Based on your data for structural relationships, which species (X, Y, Z) is more closely related to Botana curus and most likely to produce curol?
2. Explain how the evidence from your data table supports your hypothesis.

7. Paper Chromatography
Paper chromatography separates the different pigments in the plant.
All the plant extracts were originally green.
The results of the paper chromatography show that there were more than just green pigments in the plants.

8. Chromatography is also used to separate chemicals.
Record the results in Table 1. List the colors and the relative amounts of the colors for each plant.
SACCONE POWERPOINT

9. Indicator Test for Enzyme M
It is very difficult to test a plant directly for Curol. However we know that if an enzyme named “M” is present than Curol is also present.
We can test for the presence of enzyme “M” by extracting a tissue sample from each plant, and then mixing it with an indicator powder. If the reaction fizzes then enzyme “M” is present.

10. Testing for “M” Record the results of your tests for enzyme “M”
Species Y
Botana curis
Species Z
Species X
Record the results of your tests for enzyme “M”
(either a Positive or Negative result) in Table 1

11. Our Electrophoresis Gel
Follow the instructions for Test 6 in the lab. Use the colored pieces of DNA to do the simulated gel electrophoresis. Record the size of the bands in Table 1. Note test 6 is actually the last column on Table 1.

12. Molecular Evidence
Follow the instructions in the lab to complete test 7. Under each DNA sequence in your answer packet, write the complimentary messenger RNA base sequence.

13. Amino Acid Codes
Use the codon chart to complete the amino acid sequence for each plant.

14. Then list how many differences each amino acid sequence has compared to Botana curus. In other words are there one, two or three differences.
Now complete the Analysis of Results section of your packet.
Then answer questions on the reading passage:
The Biodiversity Crisis.