Question

Ferulic acid is a compound that may play a role in disease resistance in corn. A botanist measured the concentration of soluble ferulic acid in corn seedlings grown in the dark or in a light/dark photoperiod. The results (nmol acid per gm tissue) were as shown in the table.40 Construct a 95% confidence interval for the difference in ferulic acid concentration under the two lighting conditions. (Assume that the two populations from which the data came are normally distributed.) [Note: Formula (6.7.1) yields 6 degrees of freedom for these data.] Repeat part (a) for a 90% level of confidence

Answer 1

The experiment results suggest that red light plays a crucial role in seed germination by activating phytochromes, which can be reversed by subsequent far-red light if applied immediately.

Step-by-step explanation:

The question concerns the biological process of seed germination and the effects of light conditions on phytochrome-mediated signaling pathways in plants. The experiment with seeds on different plates exposed to varying sequences of red and far-red light suggests a hypothesis about the role of red light in phytochrome activation and seed germination.

Specifically, it suggests that red light promotes germination and that this effect can be reversed by immediate exposure to far-red light, while a delay between exposure to red and far-red light does not reverse the effect of red light.

This implies that phytochrome, a plant photoreceptor, exists in two forms that interconvert in response to red and far-red light, with the active form promoting germination.