Instrumentation for Measuring Photosynthesis in Undergraduate Teaching Laboratories

现代生物学越来越依赖于精密的仪器和这些设备与计算机的接口。由于这种设备的费用和操作它所需的复杂训练，本科生接触它的机会有限。里德学院生物系提议在本科教学实验室增加新的光合作用测量仪器。这台设备是专门为本科生设计的教学辅助设备。它将被学生用于低级和高级课程，包括入门生物学，植物生理学，独立研究和毕业论文。该设备利用红外气体分析仪来测量通过叶片比轻管的气流的二氧化碳含量。湿度和光线也被测量，所有的数据都被输入到一台附加的计算机上，并显示在监视器上。计算设备已经可用。练习将被设计来展示光合作用的基本特性，特别是关于环境变量（如光和温度）的影响。学生，其中许多人将主修非科学专业，将熟悉在科学研究中使用计算机收集和处理数据的技术。高水平的学生将在独立研究活动（尤其是毕业论文项目）中广泛使用这些设备，这是里德的标志。因此，这些设备将增强里德学院继续培养渴望和有能力进入研究生院并最终成为专业生物学家的学生的能力。

Modern biology is increasingly dependent on sophisticated instrumentation and on the interface of this equipment with computers. Due to the expense of this equipment and the sophisticated training required to operate it, undergraduate students receive limited exposure to it. The Reed College Biology Department proposes to add new instrumentation for measurement of photosynthesis in undergraduate teaching laboratories. The equipment has been designed specifically as a teaching aid for undergraduates. It will be used by students in both lower and upper level courses that include Introductory Biology, Plant Physiology, Independent Study, and Senior Thesis. The equipment utilizes an infra red gas analyzer to measures CO2 content of a gas stream passing through a leaf cuvette. Humidity and light are also measured and all data is fed into an attached computer and displayed on a monitor. The computing equipment is already available. Exercises will be designed to demonstrate the fundamental properties of photosynthesis particularly with regards to the effects of environmental variables such as light and temperature. Students, many of whom will be majors from outside of the sciences, will gain familiarity with technology in which computers are used to gather and process data in scientific studies. Upper-level students will make extensive use of the equipment in independent research activities (especially senior thesis projects) that are the hallmark of Reed. Thus the equipment will enhance the ability of Reed to continue to produce students that are eager and competent to advance into graduate school and ultimately careers as professional biologists.