OBSERVING THE EFFECT OF TEMPERATURE ON

CONCENTRATION OF CO2 AND O2 IN GERMINATING

AND NON-GERMINATING PEAS ON CELLULAR
RESPIRATION
NAME : DUYEN NGUYEN

Period : 2nd

11/03/2010

Abstract :
In this lab , gas sensor was used to measure the rate of cellular respiration
through the concentration of CO2 and O2 of the peas . It can be seen that the
temperature does have effect on the respiration rate .Since respiration is
metabolism , the concentration of O2 is lower than that of CO2 When the
temperature is higher , the activity of metabolism( respiration) acts stronger and
faster , Also , the germination (versus non-germination ) also has different rate of
respiration ; the germinated one has higher demand for respiration than the non-
germinated peas

INTRODUCTION :
Cellular respiration is the release of energy from organic compounds by
metabolic chemical oxidation in the mitochondria within each cell. Cellular
respiration involves a series of enzyme- mediated reactions. The equation below
shows the complete oxidation of glucose. Oxygen is required for this energy-
releasing process to occur.(Yahoo answer)
C6H12O6 + 6O2 -----> 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + 686 kilocalories of energy / mole of
glucose oxidized

Cellular respiration involves glycolysis, the Krebs cycle, and the electron
transport chain. Glycolysis is a catabolic pathway that occurs in the cytosol and
partially oxidizes glucose into two pyruvate (3-C). The Krebs cycle is also a
catabolic pathway that occurs in the mitochondrial matrix and completes glucose
oxidation by breaking down a pyruvate derivative (Acetyl-CoA) into carbon
dioxide. These two cycles both produce a small amount of ATP by substrate-level
phosphorylation and NADH by transferring electrons from substrate to NAD+
(Krebs cycle also produces FADH2 by transferring electrons to FAD). The electron
transport chain is located at the inner membrane of the mitochondrion, accepts
energized electrons from reduced coenzymes that are harvested during
glycolysis and Krebs cycle, and couples this exergonic slide of electrons to ATP
synthesis or oxidative phosphorylation. This process produces 90% of the ATP.

By using the gas sensor , we can measure cellular respiration through the
concentration of CO2 AND O2 that consumed in the mitochondria between the
germinating and non germinating . Additionally , we will investigate the effect of
3 different temperature on these process ( cellular respiration ) ( AP Biology Lab
Manual St Mark’s )
Hypothesis :
Because respiration is metabolism so if the concentration is measured, the
amount of CO2 is greater than the amount of O2

Materials :
_TI 83 plus

_EASY DATA application

_Data collection interface

_Vernier CO2 Gas Sensor

_Vernier O2 Gas Sensor

_Bio chamber 250

_25 Germinated peas

_25 non-germinated peas

_ice water bath

_warm water bath

_125mL and 250 mL beaker

_Specimen dish

_Thermometer

PROCEDURE :
PART 1 : GERMINATED VS NON GERMINATED PEAS IN ROOM TEMPERATURE

1.Connect O2 Gas Sensor to the Channel 1 of the data collection interface and the
CO2 Gas Sensor to the Channel 2

2. Set up ESAY DATA for data collection

3.Measure the temperature

4.Obtain 25 germinated peas and carefully blot them dry with a cloth towel

5. Place the germinated peas into the Bio Chamber 250

6.Place the O2 Gas Sensor into the Chamber 250 . Insert the snugly into the
grommet ,The O2 Gas Sensor should remain vertical throughout the experiment

7. Wait 2 minutes , then select START to collect the data .Wait 10 minutes
8.When finishing collect data , remove the sensors from respiration chamber
.Place the peas in a 100mL beaker filled with cold water and ice cube

9. Fill the respiration chamber with water then empty it .Dry inside with the
cloth towel

10.Data collection completed a graph of O2 vs time will appear . After viewing ,

select CH2:CO2 GAS(ppm) vs time to view the graph of CO2 vs time

11. Perform a linear regression to calculate the rate of respiration :

+ Select ANALYZ then select Linear Fit

+The linear-regression for these 2 lists are displayed for the equation in the form
:y=ax+b

+Enter the absolute value of a , as the rate of respiration in Table 2

+Select OK to view the graoh and the regression line in Table 2

+Select PLOTS to CH2 : CO2 GAS(PPM)VS TIME then repeat 11b-11e to calculate
the respiration rate using the data from the CO2 Gas Sensor

+Select MAIN to return to the Main Screen

12.Repeat te step from 5-11 substituting the germinated peas with non-
germinated peas , In step 8 , place the nongerminated peas on the tower paper
and not in the ice bath .NOTE: After selecting START to begin data collection ,
select OK to return to the main screen

PART II: Germinated peas , cool temperature

1.Place the 25 germinated in the 125mL beaker , add 2 ice cubes and fill to 100
mL with water

2. Place the respiration chamber in the specimen dish and add 3 ice cubes and
100 mL water , Be careful not to get the water on the probes

3. Use the thermometer to measure the water temperature of the beaker

containing the germinated peas .Record the temperature in Table 1

4.Remove the peas from the water ad gently blot them dry with a cloth water

5. epeat steps 5-11 using the cold germinated peas and .Note : Selecting START ,
select OK to collect the data

PART III: GERMINATED PEAS , WARM TEMPERATURE

1.Place the 25 germinated peasin the 125mL beaker and fill to 100 mL with 37C
water

2. Place the respiration chamber in the specimen dish and add 100 mL of 37
water . Be careful not to get water on the probes
 3. Add 100 mL of hot water to the 250 beaker . Maintain the water temperature
of both the beaker with peas and the specimen dish with the respiration
chamber at 37 by gradually pipetting in hot water .

4/Use the themometer to measure the water temperature of the beaker

containing the germinated peas . Record the temperature in Table 1

5. Remove the peas from the water and gently blot them with the dry towel

6.Repeat step using the warm germinated peas . NOTE : After selecting START ,
select OK to start data collection

Condition Temperature
ROOM 23.6
ICE WATER BATH 7.3
WARM WATER BATH 36.6

Table 2 :
O2 rate of respiration CO2 Rate of
(ppt/s) Respiration(ppt/s)
Conditions of Peas Group rate Class Group rate Class average
Average
Germinating , room -0.0004536 -0.00052 1.153552 1.23641
temperature
Non-germinating,room 0.00002785 -0.00526 -0.33382055 -0.13637
temperature
Germinating ,cool -0.0025812 -0.383712 0.48965587 0.47963
temperature
Germinating , warm 1.155652 0.7628 0.000693 1.99402
temperature

Analysis of Results
1. The biochamber have to be sealed around so that there is no gas could leak out
of it , as a result , we’ve got a more accurate data of how much oxygen it
consumed and how much CO2 it released

2. The cellular respiration occurs in the peas because it does consumes oxygen
and release CO2 ( based on the concentration data collected in Table2 )

3.Germinating peas should consume more oxygen than non-germinating peas

because germinating seeds began growing ,they have a higher metabolic rate and
they continually need a steady supply of oxygen for growth and survival . The
non-germinated peas , though alive , needed to consume far less oxygen for
continued subsistence

4. The rate of respiration at higher temperature is faster than that of lower

temperature because temperature increased the activity of the respiration (the
metabolism) . However , there are some extended of the temperature of the cell
respiration . Since plants have some enzyme reaction that can only work
probably at some temperature so there is a limit as rate of respiration increased
with the increased of temperature

5. While peas are germinating, they need energy to carry out the germination
process. However, the energy that plants receive is from photosynthesis, which
requires the presence of cholophyll laden green leaves, something which a pea
does not have.
So, germinating peas needs cellular respiration in order to provide energy for the
germination process.. That’s why they undergo cellular respiration

6. The reptiles are cold blooded animal , which doesn’t need to eat as frequently.
The mammal are warm blooded and constantly burns food for energy.So , the
mammal would carry out a higher rate of cellular respiration .This is because the
mammal maintains a constant temperature that is higher than that of the reptile
one

Conclusion : The experiments show the effect of temperature and germination

on the cellular respiration of the peas . The rate of respiration acts quicker and
stronger as the temperature rise higher . Also between the germinated and the
non-germinated peas , the germinated on seems to consume and procduce more
O2 and CO2 . My hypothesis is right , since respiration is metabolism , the
concentration of O2 is less the that of the production of CO2 . But there may be
some error on the data ( the O2 ) . It may be because the biochamber didn’t seal
tightly around the both sensor . The temperature may have been slightly off in
the water bath

Literature Cited :
Yahoo answer” What is cellular respiration” by the user named “Mystery”

http://answers.yahoo.com/question/index?qid=20081102181257AAA9WTg

AP Biology Manual St Mark’s “

http://smtexas.net/faculty/adame/AP_BIO_HANDBOOK.pdf