UrFU Biologists Explained How to Create a Mini Ecosystem in a Jar

10:50, May 23, 2024

The University celebrated the Fascination of Plants Day [photo report]

Ural Federal University staff showed what a cross-section of a leaf, stem, and flower looks like under a microscope, how to grow your bonsai and create a plant ecosystem in a jar as part of the VIII International Plant Day. Biologists and botanists of the university held several master classes and lectures for adults and children, during which they explained the structure of plants that people see every day. Olga Sinenko, Senior Lecturer of the Faculty of Biology and Fundamental Medicine of UrFU, told us how the University celebrated the Fascination Plant Day.

"UrFU has been celebrating the Fascination of Plants Day with various master classes and lectures for everyone since 2016. Traditionally, the most popular master class was "Cell Laces": participants looked at the internal organization of leaves and stems of different plants using a microscope. Another popular master class was "Garden in a Jar". The university specialists together with the guests created a miniature ecosystem and told them how to take care of it. There was a full house at the master class on making houses and bookmarks from dried plants: everyone was molding, creating, and enjoying the time," Olga Sinenko notes.

At other events, the participants learned how to create their bonsai and understand how plant cells are organized. The guests were also told about the basic principles of landscape design and the antiviral and antibacterial properties of essential oils derived from different flora.

"Events like Fascination of Plants Day are essential to make people realize how important plants are and how they fit into our lives. Plants: grass, trees, and flowers - on the one hand, are quite a familiar element of the landscape and our life in general. But on the other hand, they have an importance in everyone's life that we don't think about. Plants and their contribution to our lives are very underestimated. Apart from their utilitarian importance as a source of food, raw materials, and fuel, plants ensure our existence on the planet. Therefore, such a seemingly simple and familiar thing as plants is not so simple at all," explains Olga Sinenko.

Reference

The International Fascinations of Plants Day is held annually on May 18. It was first held in 2012: 580 institutions from 39 countries took part. Russia joined the number of participants in 2013. The main purpose of the Fascination of Plants Day is to popularize the study of plant organisms, as well as to draw attention to their crucial role in human life.

Sergey Lukyanchenko

The news article was translated by UrFU International Marketing Office.
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