{"id":55273,"date":"2025-11-01T04:42:51","date_gmt":"2025-10-31T19:42:51","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/phys-edu.net\/wp\/?p=55273"},"modified":"2025-11-01T04:42:51","modified_gmt":"2025-10-31T19:42:51","slug":"inside-the-secret-of-flowers-dissecting-azaleas-rapeseed-blossoms-long-term-preservation-with-opp-tape","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/phys-edu.net\/wp\/?p=55273&lang=en","title":{"rendered":"Inside the Secret of Flowers! Dissecting Azaleas & Rapeseed Blossoms \u2014 Long-Term Preservation with OPP Tape!"},"content":{"rendered":"

Meet Ken Kuwako, the Science Trainer. Every Day is an Experiment.<\/strong><\/p>\n

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Exploring the Anatomy of Flowers: Brassica and Azalea<\/h3>\n

Spring is the season when all sorts of flowers begin to bloom. This time, we delved into the “Structure of Flowers”, a core topic in first-year junior high school biology, by observing and dissecting the flowers of Brassica (rapeseed\/mustard flower) and Azalea.<\/p>\n

Observing the Brassica Flower
\nI live in Chiba Prefecture, in the southern Kanto region. Here, I observed that Brassica starts blooming in mid-April and begins to fade by the end of the month. For this reason, we changed the usual lesson order and dedicated our April class to observing and dissecting the flowers. The Brassica flowers we observed already had fruit forming at the base, which highlighted just how quickly plants grow.<\/p>\n

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I brought these Brassica flowers from a vacant lot near my home in a bucket.<\/p><\/div>\n

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When we observed them again in May, all the flowers had dropped, leaving only the fruits. This clearly demonstrates how crucial timing is for flower observation!<\/p>\n

Dissecting the Brassica Flower
\nUsing tweezers, we carefully took apart the Brassica flowers and used tape to stick and organize the individual parts. I managed to photograph one student’s work, and it was meticulously organized. A great idea from a colleague was to use wide OPP tape (Oriented Polypropylene), which allowed the students to firmly attach the flower parts for easier observation.<\/p>\n

\"\" 3M Scotch Packaging Tape<\/a> from Amazon<\/p>\n

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There are 4 petals.<\/p>\n

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We found 4 sepals, 6 stamens, and 1 pistil. Since the petals are separate, it is classified as a dicotyledonous polypetalous flower. Using a marker to number the parts is a helpful strategy.<\/p>\n

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The structure of the Brassica flower is as follows:<\/p>\n