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Background:
All organisms are dependent on a healthy carbon dioxide-oxygen
balance. Photosynthesis and cellular respiration are key processes in
maintaining this balance. Plants, through the process of photosynthesis,
use energy absorbed from sunlight, water, and carbon dioxide to
produce sugars and oxygen. Animals and plants, through the process of
cellular respiration, use oxygen and sugars to produce carbon dioxide,
water, and the energy needed to maintain life.
Purpose:
To determine how carbon dioxide cycles through a biological system by
performing the Carbon Transfer Through Snails and Elodea lab activity.
Procedure:
1. Read through the background information and purpose. Create
your own question for what you are investigating in this experiment.
a. Problem (in question form): How are photosynthesis and
cellular respiration related?
5. If snails use lungs to breathe, you can conclude that they release
which gas into their environment as a result of respiration?
Carbon Dioxide
8. Place test tubes 1-4 in a test tube rack and place the rack under a
growth light.
9. What is the purpose of the growth light?
To synthesize sunlight for the plants
10. Place test tubes 5-8 in a test tube rack and place the rack under a
test tube rack cover.
11. What is the purpose of the test tube rack cover?
To provide dark conditions
Read This:
The independent variable in an experiment is the variable that will be
altered by you, the scientist. In the case of this experiment, the
independent variable will be the number of snails and/or number of
elodea plants in each test tube.
Now you must wait 24 hours. (make sure you clean up your station!)
Second Test Tube Rack Placed under the test tube cover:
Test Tube Independent Beginning Color
Color Result
with BTB Variables Color Prediction
Tube # 1 Water Only Green Varies Green
Tube #2 2 snails Green Varies Yellow
Tube #3 2 Elodea Green Varies Yellow
Tube #4 2 snails, 2 Elodea Green Varies Yellow
Conclusions:
Complete the following sentences.
1. In the test tubes which contained only snails, the water changed to
yellow because the snails produced lots of carbon dioxide.
2. In the test tubes which contained only Elodea under the light, the
water stayed green because the Elodea performed both
photosynthesis and cellular respiration and produced oxygen and
carbon dioxide.
3. In the test tubes which contained only Elodea in the dark, the water
changed to yellow because the Elodea performed cellular
respiration and produced lots of carbon dioxide.
4. In the test tubes which contained both snails and Elodea under the
light, the water changed to yellow because the snails and Elodea
produced more carbon dioxide.
2. Analyze. Why did the color of the Bromthymol Blue (BTB) solution
change in certain test tubes?
The levels of carbon dioxide changed, therefore the BTB solution changed
color to indicate the presence of carbon dioxide.
4. Infer. When you began the experiment, was there CO2 in the water? In
the test tubes that contained Elodea, where did the CO2 go?
Yes, the water was green. This indicates a low level of carbon dioxide. In
the tubes that contained Elodea, the carbon dioxide was used in the
photosynthesis process.
5. Infer. Which gas did the snails release? What observation supports this
inference?
The snails released both oxygen and carbon dioxide. This was indicated
by the solution changing to yellow.
7. Assess.
Reactants Products
6 CO2 + 6 H2O + Sunlight (energy) C6H12O6 + 6 O2
Write the balanced chemical equation for cellular respiration below (label
reactants and products).
Reactants Products
C6H12O6 + 6 O2 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + ATP (energy)