In honor of AAPI Heritage Month, we are celebrating AAPI scientists and their contributions throughout history! Check out their bios & some fun science experiments to learn more about their work!
Isabella Aiona Abbott: Ethnobotanist
Dr. Aiona-Abbott was an ethnobotanist, phycologist, and educator from Hawaii. She was the first native Hawaiian woman to receive a Ph.D. in science! She was born in Hana, Maui and grew up learning about the value and diversity of Hawaiian plants from her mother. She earned her undergraduate degree in botany from the University of Hawaii, then went on to obtain both a Master’s and Ph.D. in botany. She began studying algae along the California coast and was appointed Professor of Biology at Stanford University, being the first woman and person of color in this position. After years of research and expertise on Pacific Coastal algae and seaweed, she became known as the “First Lady of Limu!”
Kelp Photosynthesis
Materials:
Coffee filter, scissors, leaves, coin, rubbing alcohol, jar, pencil, tape, foil
Time Estimated:
15 min
Directions:
Cut a strip one inch wide from a coffee filter. Cut one end of the strip to a point.
Place a leaf on the paper 1/4-inch above the cut.
Roll the edge of a coin over the leaf, pressing green leaf juice into the paper.
Let the paper dry, and repeat the process with three different leaves.
Pour a 1/2-inch layer of rubbing alcohol into the bottom of a jar.
Tape your paper strip to the middle of a pencil and hang it so that the very tip of the strip touches the alcohol. (The colored strip of leaf "juices" should not touch the alcohol— you may have to adjust the length of the strip.)
Lay a piece of foil over the top of the jar to keep the alcohol from evaporating.
Watch carefully as the alcohol moves up the filter paper, carrying the pigments along with it.
In 10 to 20 minutes, the colors should be separated— do not allow them to run to the top of the paper!
Think Like A Scientist!
How many colors do you see?
Could you see all of those colors in the leaf itself?
What do you think would happen if leaves didn’t have chlorophyll?
How Does it Work?
Pressing green leaf juice on the paper transfers the varying pigments from the plant, which have varying colors, onto the paper. As the alcohol moves up the filter paper, it carries the pigments along with it. Leaves have a green pigment called chlorophyll that they use to capture sunlight, but they also use other colors to capture light that chlorophyll misses. You can use chromatography to see the many colors in a leaf! Once these plants capture sunlight, they convert it into energy for food. Kelp, like the types that Dr. Abbott studied, also use this process, called photosynthesis, to create their own food!
Looking for more fun at-home STEM activities for your young scientist? Check out our workbook full of exciting science experiments and empowering activities!
