Mass flow experiment

• Tracing experiments:

  • relies on the plant taking up a substance that has a radioactive label - could be in the form of CO2 which has C14 present
  • this would be tracked in the plant during photosynthesis to produce sugars which can then be tracked down as they are translocated
  • tracing relies on autraradiography - plant needs to be killed by either freezing or liquid nitrogen
  • plant placed on photographic film.
  • areas of radioactivity will change the colour of the film to see the presence of sugars