Cell Respiration
Recommended for grades 10–16.
Introduction
Cell respiration refers to the process of converting the chemical energy of organic molecules into a form immediately usable by organisms. Glucose may be oxidized completely if sufficient oxygen is available by the following equation:
All organisms, including plants and animals, oxidize glucose for energy. Often, this energy is used to convert ADP and phosphate into ATP. It is known that peas undergo cell respiration during germination.
Objectives
In this Preliminary Activity, you will use a CO2 Gas Sensor to determine the respiration rate of peas. After completing the Preliminary Activity, you will first use reference sources to find out more about peas, seeds, germination, and cell respiration before you choose and investigate a researchable question dealing with the cell respiration. Some topics to consider in your reference search are:
- peas
- seeds
- germination
- cell respiration
- carbohydrates
- glucose
- dormant
Sensors and Equipment
This investigation requires each of the following Vernier sensors and equipment (unless otherwise noted):
Additional Requirements
You may also need an interface and software for data collection. What do I need for data collection?
Download Experiment Preview
The student-version preview includes:
- Step-by-step instructions for the Preliminary Activity
- List of materials and equipment
Note: The experiment preview of the Preliminary Activity does not include essential teacher information, safety tips, or sample data. Instructions for Logger Pro and other software (such as LabQuest App or TI handheld software, where available) are on the CD that accompanies the book. We strongly recommend that you purchase the book before performing experiments.
Standards Correlations
No standards correlations for this experiment.
Included in the Lab Book
Vernier lab books include a CD with word-processing files of the student instructions, essential teacher information, suggested answers, sample data and graphs, and more.