1

Cell Respiration Lab

Alexa Riley

Biology 1A

14 January 2019
 2

The importance of cell respiration cannot be understated, it is the basis of creating power

for all living organisms. Cell respiration can be broken down into 3 processes that will create ATP

for the cell to use. The first step would be glycolysis; this is the process of breaking down the

glucose molecules made from photosynthesis. Glycolysis breaks down sugars in the cytoplasm

into 2 pyruvates, for every pyruvate, one ATP is formed. From this 2 NADH is also formed,

which is an electron carrier . The 2 pyruvates later gets carried to the matrix of the mitochondria

for process 2: Kreb’s cycle. “The pyruvates bind with an enzyme called coA which forms acetyl

coA, Both of the pyruvates and the acetyl coA get converted into CO₂ through the cycle”

(Glycolysis and Cellular Respiration). Once it gets converted to CO₂, 2 ATP and electron carriers

of 6 NADH, and 2 FADH are formed. The third and final process starts in the cristae of the

mitochondria. This final process called ETC or electron transport chain, uses the electrons from

the NADH and the FADH to carry hydrogen atoms along the chains where oxygen will act as an

electron acceptor (CK-12 foundation). The hydrogen molecules will bind with the oxygen to

create H₂O. However the most important product of ETC is the 34 ATP produced. The end result

of cell respiration is 38 ATP which will be used by the cell as energy.

The purpose of the lab was to test how different variables may affect the rate and outcome

of cellular respiration. By using bromothymol blue, we were able to test hypotheses and get

results. The bromothymol blue, or BTB changes from blue to yellow when CO₂ hits it, this is due

to a weak acid bond that forms when carbon dioxide and water react. The more carbon dioxide

given, the faster the color will change. Different factors however can change the results. These

variables affect the result due to the fact after certain exercises your body increases breathing rate.

This in turn causes an increase of CO₂, which will increase the rate of the BTB solution turning
 3

yellow. The purpose of the lab was to test how different variables may affect the rate and outcome

of cellular respiration.
 4

Works Cited

CK-12 Foundation. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.ck12.org/book/CK-12-Biology/section/4.3/

Glycolysis and Cellular Respiration. (n.d.). Retrieved from

https://www.lec.edu/facstaff/vieira/BI100lec8.htm