link here to Bozeman Biology youtube lab video:
Cellular
Respiration Lab
What factors
Whataffect theaffect
factors rate ofthe
cellular
rate of cellular respiration in multicellular
respiration in multicellular organisms?organisms?
Cellular Respiration What factors affect the rate of cellular respiration in multicellular organisms?
Living system require free energy and matter to maintain order, to grow, and to reproduce. Energy deficiencies are not
only detrimental to individual organisms, but they cause disruptions at the population and ecosystem levels as well.
Organisms employ various strategies that have been conserved through evolution to capture, use, and store free
energy. Autotrophic organisms capture free energy from the environment through photosynthesis and chemosynthesis,
whereas heterotrophic organisms harvest free energy from carbon compounds produced by other organisms.
The process of cellular respiration harvests the energy in carbon compounds to produce ATP that powers most of the
vital cellular processes. In eukaryotes, respiration occurs in the mitochondria within cells. If sufficient oxygen is
available, glucose may be oxidized completely in a series of enzyme-mediated steps, as summarized by the following
reaction:
C6H12O6 + 6O2 → 6CO2 + 6H2O + Energy (ATP + heat)
From the equation, if glucose is the energy source, then for every molecule of oxygen consumed, one molecule of
carbon dioxide is produced.
Suppose you wanted to measure the overall rate of cellular respiration.
• What specific things could you measure?
• Which of these might be easier or harder to measure?
As you complete the lab activity, think about this question: What factors can affect the rate of cellular respiration?
Learning Objectives:
• To learn how a respirometer can be used to measure respiration in plant seeds or small invertebrates, such as
insects or earthworms
• To design and/or conduct an experiment to explore the effect of certain factors, including environmental variables,
on the rate of cellular respiration
Cellular Respiration Lab (with Vernier LabQuest Hardware)
• Watch the recorded Cellular Respiration Lab*.
• Record the data for “crickets in room
temperature” and “crickets on ice” on the
following data table (next slide).
• Construct a graph to compare the respiration
between the two groups.
• Answer the analysis questions.
*Credit and thanks to Anne-Marie Hanapole for video lab!
Data Table:
Note: To determine the amount of CO2 produced you must subtract the initial respirometer reading from each of your data points.
Room Temp On Ice
Time (min) Respirometer CO2 Produced (PPM) Respirometer Reading Co2 Produced (PPM)
Reading (PPM) (Respirometer reading - (PPM) (Respirometer reading - initial
initial respirometer reading) respirometer reading
0
0 0
(initial)
1
6
7
8
9
10
Graph Your Data
• Create a line graph (two plotted
lines), comparing the respiration
of your organisms over the time
period. Be sure to title your graph
and accurately label the x-axis and
y-axis.
Insert your Google Sheets line graph here:
Analysis Questions
1. Use your data to determine the rate of respiration for each of your variables. What are the respiration rates of each of
the cricket vials (room temperature or on ice) over the ten minute period? Calculate.
(Answer here)
2. Describe how the rate of cellular respiration in the crickets was affected by cold as compared to the control(s)?
(Answer here)
3. If you were asked to design your own inquiry to test what factors affect cellular respiration rate, what independent
variables could you test? List them here:
(Answer here)
