Chilli leaves

Ah, the hiss of the Bunsen Burner! Today my pupils were investigating pigments in plant leaves. They boiled up some leaves from the chilli plants still alive in the School greenhouse and then attacked them using a pestle and mortar - all very satisfying on a Friday afternoon!

The smell of the boiling leaves added a certain je ne sais quoi to the lab. After macerating the leaves the girls made tiny, concentrated spots of green stuff on chromatography paper and then let it run to separate the different pigments. A good activity for the last hour of the day.

I love Biology :)