Energy value?

Energy values of respiratory

substrates
The typical amounts of energy that the major food
substances yield are:

Respiratory substrate Energy value

Carbohydrates 1600-1760 kJ/100g
Lipids (fats and oils) 3700-4000 kJ/100g
Protein 1700-1720 kJ/100g
Energy values of respiratory
substrates

The energy value of a

substrate is determined
by burning a known
mass of the substance in
oxygen in a calorimeter

The energy released by

oxidizing the substrate
can be determined from
the rise in temperature of
a known mass of water in
the calorimeter.
Calorimeter
 Energy density of respiratory
substrates
Energy density: the energy value per unit mass

Respiratory substrate Energy density /kj g-1

Carbohydrates 15.8
Lipids (fats and oils) 39.4
Protein 17.0

Why do lipids transfer more energy than carbohydrates

and proteins?
Why lipids have a greater energy density than
any other molecule?
 Why lipids have a greater energy density than
any other molecule?

• Lipids have more C-H bonds/hydrogen atoms per

molecule than carbohydrates or proteins.
• The greater the number of hydrogen atoms in
substrate, the more NADH/FADH produced,
• More NADH or FADH carries more H to inner
membrane of mitochondria, more electrons passed to
ETC and more H+ pumped
• More oxidative phosphorylation/ chemiosmosis to
produce more ATP in aerobic respiration
 Respiratory Quotient
The ratio of the amount of carbon dioxide produced to
the amount of oxygen taken in a given time, by an
organism.

Hexose sugars
C6H12O6 + 6 O2  6 CO2 + 6H2O

RQ = 6CO2 /6O2 = 1
 Calculate RQ values of different respiratory
substrates from equations for respiration
Lipid
C18H34O2 + 25.5O2  18CO2 + 17H2O

RQ = 18CO2 /25.5O2 = 0.7

C57H110O6 + 81.5O2  57CO2 + 55H2O

RQ = 57CO2 /81.5O2 = 0.7

 Typical RQs for aerobic respiration
of different substrate

• Most of the time, however, energy consumption is

composed of both fats and carbohydrates. The
approximate respiratory quotient of a mixed diet is 0.8
 What happens when respiration is
not aerobic?

C6H12O6  2C2H15OH + CO2 + energy

C6H12O6  2C3H6O3 + energy

 RQs for anaerobic respiration

C6H12O6  2C2H15OH + CO2 + energy

RQ = 2CO2 /0O2 = ∞

High values of RQ indicate that alcoholic

fermentation is occurring

C6H12O6  2C3H6O3 + energy

No RQ can be calculated for lactate pathway
State how the RQ is calculated. [2]

CO2 produced divided by O2 consumed /

ratio of CO2 produced to O2 consumed;
ref. to volume / number of molecules / moles, of, CO2 / O2 ;
in the same time / per unit time ;
(ii) carbohydrate = 1.0 ;
lipid = 0.7 ; [2]
(iii) becomes greater than 1 ; [1]
Explain why the usual RQ value for respiration in
humans is between 0.7 and 1.0.
 Measurement of respiration
C6H12O6 + 6O2  6CO2 + 6H2O
Oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide released can be
measured using a respirometer.
Pipet tip

• A closed air-tight system from which

the test organisms take oxygen and
release carbon dioxide.

• The carbon dioxide is absorbed by

Germinating the sodium hydroxide, causing dye
beans
to move.
Cotton

NaOH or KOH
 Discussion

1. Safety precautions: identify potential hazards

2. Why using a germinating seed?
3. How to measure the volume of CO2 released?
4. How to convert the movement of dye to the
volume of oxygen consumed and CO2
released?
5. How to set up a suitable control, what will be
the result of the control group?
6. How to improve the reliability of your results?
How to measure the volume of CO2 released?

Pipet tip Pipet tip

z
x
x-z

Germinating Germinating
beans beans
Cotton Cotton

NaOH or KOH Beads or stone

CO2 is removed by NaOH CO2 is not removed

O2 consumed: x CO2 released: x-z

 How to set up a suitable control?

Pipet tip

Germinating
beans Beads
Dry
or
Cotton beans
stone
NaOH or KOH
 Measurement of gas exchange using a
respirometer

cotton

germinating
seeds

1. Measure the volume of oxygen or CO2.

2. Each student get: 1 tubing, 1 syringe, 1 forceps, 1 ruler and
20 seeds.
3. Set up the simple respirometer.
4. Record the raw results in a result table.
5. Calculate the rate of respiration from the oxygen
consumption in mm3g-1s-1
6. Calculate the RQ value use the formula provided
a control tube containing an equal volume of inert material to the volume of
the organisms used helps to compensate for changes in atmospheric
pressure
 Planning an experiment
1. Constructing a hypothesis
• The rate of respiration of germinating seeds increases and then
decreases with temperature.

2. Using the right apparatus

• respirometer

3. Identifying variables
4. Describing the sequence of steps
5. Risk assessment
6. Recording and displaying results
 Planning
For planning, candidates use a given scenario and background
information to identify key variables and develop a
procedure to test a hypothesis or prediction.

These marks are awarded for two strands of skills:

• Defining the problem
• Methods.
Methods
From a given scenario, candidates will be assessed on their
ability to describe a method that could be used by another
person without any further information to collect the necessary
data without difficulty.

When describing the method, candidates should be able to:

1. Use the information provided in the scenario to

describe how to vary the independent variable, and the
ways in which they would make sure they had measured
its values accurately
2. Describe how to measure the dependent variable. This
could include using either, as appropriate, the apparatus or
materials specified in the scenario or measuring
instruments chosen to measure the correct quantity to a
suitable number of significant figures. This may include
the use of monitoring devices and computer technology to
record changes

3. Describe how to standardise each of the other key

variables using appropriate methods for the apparatus and
nature of the investigation, e.g. using a dropping pipette is
not appropriate to measure small volumes of a solution
4. Describe, where appropriate, suitable volumes and
concentrations of reagents, and explain how different
concentrations would be prepared

Concentrations may be specified:

• in %(w/v), by adding a known mass of solute to a small volume of
solvent, mixing until fully dissolved and then making up to the final
volume with solvent
• in mol dm-3 by dissolving a known number of moles of solute and
then making up to 1 dm with solvent
Dilutions may be made by:
• serial dilution, by making the same dilution step again and again,
using the previous dilution as the input to the next dilution in each
step. Since the dilution factor is the same in each step, the
dilutions are a geometric series
• proportional dilution, by adding volumes of solution and solvent in a
specified ratio to obtain the required concentration, e.g. to dilute a
stock solution by 5, 1 cm3 of the stock solution is added to 4 cm3 of
solvent.
5. Describe, if appropriate, any control experiments to
make sure that it is the independent variable that is
affecting the dependent variable and not some other
factor

Control experiments can be of two types:

• where all factors are kept identical to the experimental
set up except that the value of the independent
variable is zero, for example when water is used
instead of a test solution
• where the control is to confirm that, for example, it is
an organism that is causing a particular effect, by
leaving out or replacing the organism with non-living
material, e.g. sterile glass beads instead of an insect in
a respirometer
6. Describe, in a logical sequence, the steps involved in the
procedure including how to use the apparatus to collect
results

7. Describe how to ensure the quality of results by

considering any anomalous results and the spread of results
by inspection and then by using standard deviation,
standard error or 95% confidence intervals (CI).

8. Describe how to assess the validity of the results by

considering both the accuracy of measuring the
intended dependent variable and the repeatability of the
results
9. Include a simple risk assessment of their plan,
identifying the areas where an accident or injury is most
likely to happen and the areas where it would be most
serious

10. Describe the precautions that would need to be taken

to minimise risks where possible. These precautions
should be specifically related to the risks they have
identified, for example soda lime used to absorb carbon
dioxide is corrosive and poses a particular risk if it comes
in to contact with the skin and cornea, so wearing gloves
and eye protection would be an appropriate precaution.