A student puts one ripe banana in a paper bag with three green bananas, and keeps three green…
Contributed by StemPy LabTry it on paper first. A hint, the key idea and the worked solution are here when you need them.
A student puts one ripe banana in a paper bag with three green bananas, and keeps three green bananas in the open air beside it.
- Which bananas ripen first?
- Which regulator explains this?
- Why would a bag with a hole in it work less well?
Need a reminder? The key ideaShow
Ethylene is a gas that ripens fruit, causes the respiratory climacteric, and promotes senescence and abscission. Ethephon releases it. Abscisic acid is the stress hormone: it closes stomata, keeps seeds dormant and opposes gibberellins.
The worked solution
Have you tried it?
Work it out on paper first. It is fine to get stuck or make a mistake: that is how we learn. When you are ready, go through the solution one step at a time, and check each step against your own.
Step 1. (a) The green bananas in the bag ripen first.
Step 2. (b) Ethylene from the ripe banana hastens the ripening of the green ones.
Step 3. (c) A hole lets the gas escape. The ethylene in the bag stays lower, so the ripening is slower.
Answer: (a) the bananas in the bag; (b) ethylene; (c) the gas escapes through the hole.
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