12/3/10
Period 2-3
(Done with David, Andrew, and Ian)
INTRODUCTION
This lab provided insight to the process of cellular respiration and how
it is affected by temperature in both germinating and dormant pea
seeds. Cellular respiration is an ATP-producing catabolic process in
which the electron receiver is an inorganic molecule. It is the release of
energy from organic compounds by chemical oxidation in the
mitochondria within each cell.
HYPOTHESIS
The respirometer with only germinating peas will have a larger
consumption of oxygen and will have a larger amount of CO2 that is
converted into K2CO3 than the respirometer with beads and dry peas
and the respirometer with beads alone.
PROCEDURE
During the lab, we prepared both a room temperature and a 10oC
water bath. Then, we
filled a 50 mL graduated cylinder halfway with water. We added 25
germinating peas and
determined the amount of water that was displaced. Then we removed
the peas, placed them on a paper towel, refilled the graduated
cylinder, and added glass beads to the graduated cylinder until the
volume was equivalent to that of the expanded germinating peas. We
removed the beads,refilled the graduated cylinder, added 25 non-
germinating peas, and then added more glass beads until the volume
was once again equal to the germinating peas’ volume. After all that
was done, we prepared another set of peas and beads for the last 3
respirometers. Assembly of the respirometers was the next step. We
obtained 6 vials, stoppers, and graduated pipettes. Then we placed a
wad of absorbent cotton in the bottom of each vial and, using a
pipette, saturated the cotton with about 2-3 mL of 15 % KOH. We then
placed a layer of non-absorbent cotton on top of the KOH-soaked
cotton in order to protect the peas from the KOH. We placed the first
set of germinating peas, dry peas and beads, and beads alone in vials
1, 2, and 3, and the second set in vials 4, 5, and 6, then placed the
stoppers in each vial. We made slings out of masking tape in order to
hold the pipettes out of the water for the 10 minute equilibration
period and placed the vials on them (1, 2, and 3 in the room
temperature bath, 4, 5, and 6 in the 10oC bath). The 10minute period
was necessary to ensure that a difference in temperature between the
air in the via land the water would not skew our results. Once the vials
were properly adjusted, we lowered them into the water.
Unfortunately. the water rushed into the respirometer, which would
indicated a leak. We then recorded the reading on the pipette at set
time periods.
CONCLUSION
In this experiment the vial with just germinating peas had the greatest
consumption of oxygen. This is because germinating peas carried out a
more rapid process of cellular respiration than the non-germinating
peas. The beads carried out no cellular respiration. The non-
germinating peas require less energy than the germinating peas so the
dry peas carry out a slower process of cellular respiration. This in turn
caused less oxygen to be consumed in the vials with non-germinating
peas than the vials with germinating peas. The higher temperature
caused cellular respiration to occur at a higher rate which in turn
caused a greater consumption of oxygen.
DISCUSSSION
This activity uses a number of controls. One control is each vial had
the same volume. This showed that the volume of the vial did not
effect respiration rate. Another control was the vial with beads alone.
The beads carried out no respiration. The final control was the 10
minute equilibration period. This allowed the contents of the vials to
carry out respiration for a short period of time before they were
completely immersed in the water. The beads carried out no cellular
respiration. The peas did. Changes in atmospheric pressure could have
caused changes in respiration rate and correcting the readings
provided the most accurate results under the given conditions. Another
key component to this lab was the fact that as time increased oxygen
consumption increased. If we were to predict the results through 45
degrees if the temperature increased cellular respiration increased, but
after a certain temperature the respiration rate will start to go down.
The peak is the optimal temperature. . If you used the same
experimental design to compare the rates of respiration of a 25g.
reptile and a 25 g. mammal at 10oC. The mammal would carry
out a higher rate of cellular respiration. This is because the mammal
maintains a constant temperature that is higher than the temperature
of the cold blooded reptiles that will have a temperature of 10 C. . If
respiration in a small mammal were studied at both room temperature
21 o C and 10oC, The rate of cellular respiration would be higher at 21
degrees C because the 10 degrees C temperature could cause the
overall body of the mammal temperature to drop the most.
(GRAPH)
10. Why did the vial have to be completely sealed around the
stopper.