The effect of temperature on the growth rate of <i>Arabidopsis thaliana</i> wild type and <i>cer10</i> mutant

Abstract

Cuticular wax aids in regulating water loss in the small flowering plant, Arabidopsis thaliana. Unlike the wild type, the eceriferum10 (cer10) mutant lacks the ability to properly synthesize cuticular wax. This mutation may affect its growth rate when subjected to different temperature-stress environments. The purpose of this study was to determine whether different temperatures had an effect on the growth rate of the wild type or cer10 mutation of A. thaliana. By measuring the diameter of the rosette from samples of wild-type and mutant seedlings grown in 20°C and 30°C incubators, growth rate was calculated over the course of ten days. A two-way ANOVA test was used on these average growth rates to determine if differences between mean growth rates were significant.  The results indicated that temperature had no significant effect on the growth rate of Arabidopsis thaliana (p=0.23). Additionally, the presence of the cer10 mutation had no significant effect on growth rate of A. thaliana (p=0.39).  Moreover, the effect of temperature on the growth rate of A. thaliana is the same in wild type and cer10 mutants (p=0.30).