Lab Report: Investigating the Effect of Temperature on Respiration in Yeast

Nikoloz Macharashvili (Grade X)

Objective: To determine how different temperatures affect the rate of respiration in yeast by
measuring the production of CO2 bubbles.
Hypothesis:
We hypothesize that the rate of respiration in yeast will increase as the temperature increases up
to a certain point, after which it will decrease due to denaturation of enzymes involved in the
process.
Materials and Equipment:
1. Yeast
2. Sugar solution (boiled and cooled)
3. Liquid paraffin
4. Two beakers
5. Rubber stopper with a delivery tube
6. Limewater solution (calcium hydroxide)
7. Thermometer
8. Water bath or hot plate
9. Stopwatch or timer
10. Graduated cylinder
11. Safety goggles and lab coat
Procedure:
 Set up a water bath or hot plate and fill it with water.
 Label the two beakers as "A" and "B."
 Prepare the sugar solution by dissolving a known amount of sugar in water and allowing
it to cool.
 In beaker "A," mix the sugar solution with yeast until it forms a paste. Place a layer of
liquid paraffin on top to prevent air exchange with the atmosphere.
 Fill beaker "B" with limewater solution.
o Insert the rubber stopper with a delivery tube into the neck of beaker "A."
o Connect the other end of the delivery tube to beaker "B" filled with limewater.
Ensure a tight seal
 Place beaker "A" in the water bath or on the hot plate and set the temperature to your
desired starting temperature (e.g., room temperature).
  Allow the system to equilibrate for a few minutes.
 Start the stopwatch or timer.
 Observe the rate of gas bubble formation in beaker "B" (limewater) and count the number
of bubbles produced in a set time interval (e.g., 1 minute).
 Record the number of bubbles produced at regular time intervals for each temperature.
 Repeat the experiment for different temperature settings (e.g., room temperature, 30°C,
40°C, 50°C).
 Always wear safety goggles and a lab coat to protect your eyes and clothing.
 Be cautious when handling hot water or equipment. Use appropriate safety measures.

Data Collection:
Temperature Bubbles Per Minute
25°C 15
30°C 23
35°C 32
40°C 40
45°C 28
50°C 19

Data Analysis:

Graph
45
40
35
30
25
20
15
10
5
0
0.5 1 1.5 2 2.5 3 3.5 4 4.5 5 5.5

Conclusion:
In this investigation, we understood the effect of temperature on yeast respiration by measuring
the rate of gas production, represented by the number of bubbles of carbon dioxide (CO2)
released in a unit of time.