Biologicalprocessmonitoringisimportant.Ithelpsusseehowlivingsystemswork.Wewatchcellsgrow.Wewatchplantsusesunlight.Wewatchanimalsbreathe.Wewatchtinyorganismseatfood.Weneedtoseethesethingsclearly.Weneednumbersandfacts.Thisknowledgeisuseful.Ithelpsdoctorstreatsickness.Ithelpsfarmersgrowmorefood.Ithelpsscientistsprotecttheenvironment.Thiswritingtalksaboutwaystocheckbiologicalprocesses.Ittalksaboutsimpleideasandcommontools.

Alllivingthingsdowork.Thisworkisabiologicalprocess.Cellsmakeenergy.Theybuildnewparts.Theycopytheirinstructions.Wewanttomeasurethiswork.Measurementtellsusthehealthofthesystem.Isthecellstrong?Istheplantsick?Isthewaterclean?Wefindanswersbycheckingtheseprocesses.

Onecommonprocessiscellgrowth.Wegrowcellsinadish.Wegivethemfoodandawarmplace.Thecellsdivide.Onecellbecomestwo.Twocellsbecomefour.Weneedtoknowhowfastthishappens.Wecountthecells.Weuseamicroscope.Weputaspecialgridontheglass.Wecountcellsineachsquare.Thisgivesanumber.Wecheckagainafteronehour.Wecheckaftertwohours.Thenumberchanges.Thechangetellsusthegrowthspeed.Somemachinescountcellsforus.Theyuselighttosensecells.Theyarefast.Theyhandlemanysamples.

Anotherimportantprocessisphotosynthesis.Plantstakelight.Theytakecarbondioxideandwater.Theymakesugarandoxygen.Wecanmeasurethis.Weputaplantinaclosedbox.Wemeasuretheairinside.Wecheckthecarbondioxidelevel.Wechecktheoxygenlevel.Weshinealightontheplant.Aftersometime,wemeasuretheairagain.Thecarbondioxideisless.Theoxygenismore.Thechangetellsushowfastphotosynthesisworks.Wecanuseasimplegassensor.Itgivesanumberonascreen.Farmersusethis.Theylearnwhichlightisbest.Theylearnhowmuchwatertheplantneeds.

Wealsocheckrespiration.Animalsandplantsbreathe.Theyuseoxygen.Theymakecarbondioxideandwater.Wemeasurethistoo.Asmallanimalisplacedinasealedcontainer.Weconnectatubetothecontainer.Thetubegoestoasensor.Thesensormeasuresoxygen.Wewatchthenumbergodown.Thespeedofchangeistherespirationrate.Thistellsusabouttheanimal'senergyuse.Arunningmouseusesoxygenfast.Asleepingmouseusesoxygenslow.Thisisasimpletest.Itusesbasicequipment.

Enzymeactivityisakeyprocess.Enzymesareworkermoleculesincells.Theymakechemicalreactionsgofast.Oneenzymebreaksdownsugar.Anotherenzymebuildsprotein.Wecantestenzymeaction.Wegetsomeenzymefromacell.Weputitinatubewithitsfood,calledsubstrate.Theenzymechangesthesubstrate.Thechangeoftenmakescolor.Acolorlessliquidturnsyellow.Ablueliquidturnsclear.Weusealightmetertomeasurethecolor.Thecolorstrengthtellsustheenzymespeed.Thisisacommontestinhospitals.Itchecksforliverdisease.Itchecksforheartattacks.

Microbialactivityiseverywhere.Tinybacteriaandfungiareinsoil.Theyareinwater.Theybreakdowndeadleaves.Theybreakdownwaste.Wewanttomeasuretheirwork.Wetakeasoilsample.Weaddaspecialfoodsource.Thisfoodreleasescarbondioxidewhenmicrobeseatit.Wetrapthecarbondioxide.Wemeasurehowmuchgasformsinoneday.Moregasmeansmoreactivemicrobes.Thistellsusthesoilishealthy.Thistellsusthewaterispollutedorclean.Thetoolforthiscanbesimple.Abottle,atube,andameasuringcylinderareenough.

Temperatureaffectsallbiologicalprocesses.Acellgrowsfasterwhenitiswarm.Itgrowsslowerwhenitiscold.Wemustalwaysmeasuretemperature.Weuseathermometer.Weputitinthewaterbath.Weputitinthesoil.Werecordthenumber.Thisisabasicstep.Allexperimentsneedcorrecttemperature.pHisalsoimportant.pHtellsusifasolutionisacidorbase.CellsneedtherightpH.EnzymesneedtherightpH.WeusepHpaper.Wedipthepaperintheliquid.Thepaperchangescolor.Wematchthecolortoachart.WegetapHnumber.WecanalsouseapHmeter.Itisaprobeattachedtoadigitalscreen.

Manytoolshelpusseethingswecannotsee.Amicroscopemakessmallthingslookbig.Weseebacteria.Weseethepartsofacell.Acentrifugespinssamplesveryfast.Heavypartsgotothebottom.Lightpartsstayontop.Weseparatebloodthisway.Wegetredbloodcellsatthebottom.Wegetclearplasmaontop.Wetesteachpart.Aspectrophotometeriscommon.Itmeasureshowmuchlightaliquidabsorbs.Acoloredliquidabsorbsmorelight.Themachinegivesanumber.Thisnumbertellsustheconcentrationofamaterial.Istherealotofproteininthesolution?Themachineanswers.

Datacollectionissimple.Wewritenumbersinanotebook.Wewritethetime.Wewritethemeasurement.Wemakeatable.Timeinonecolumn.Cellcountinanothercolumn.Wemakeagraphlater.Thegraphhasalinethatgoesupordown.Thelineshowsthetrend.Theprocessisspeedingup.Theprocessisslowingdown.Weunderstandthestorybylookingatthegraph.

Thesemethodsareusedeveryday.Adoctortestsapatient'sblood.Thetestchecksforenzymelevels.Thisfindsliverproblems.Afoodscientisttestsyogurt.Thetestchecksforbacterialactivity.Thismakessuretheyogurtissafe.Awastewaterplantteststhewater.Thetestchecksformicrobialbreakdownofwaste.Thismakessurethewateriscleanfortheriver.Abiologisttestsanewdrug.Thedrugisaddedtocancercellsinadish.Thebiologistcountsthecellseveryday.Dothecellsstopgrowing?Thetestshowsifthedrugworks.

Biologicalprocessmonitoringreliesonsimpleactions.Weobserve.Wemeasure.Werecord.Wecompare.Thetoolscanbecheapandeasy.Ahandlensisatool.Atimerisatool.Arulerisatool.Thegoalisclearinformation.Wewanttoknowwhatishappeninginthelivingsystem.Thisknowledgesolvesproblems.Itmakesbettermedicine.Itmakesmorefood.Itkeepsourenvironmenthealthy.Theworkcontinues.Newtoolsappear.Butthebasicideastaysthesame.Watchtheprocess.Getthenumbers.Learnfromthem.