Cell Respiration (CO2)
Recommended for grades 6–12.
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 and is summarized by the following reaction:
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 pea seeds undergo cell respiration during germination. Do pea seeds undergo cell respiration before germination? Using your collected data, you will be able to answer this question concerning respiration and non-germinated peas.
Using the CO2 Gas Sensor, you will monitor the carbon dioxide produced by pea seeds during cell respiration. Both germinated and non-germinated peas will be tested. Additionally, cell respiration of germinated peas at two different temperatures will be tested.
Objectives
In this experiment, you will
- Use a CO2 Gas Sensor to measure concentrations of carbon dioxide during cell respiration.
- Study the effect of temperature on cell respiration rate.
- Determine whether germinating peas and non-germinating peas respire.
- Compare the rates of cell respiration in germinating and non-germinating peas.
Sensors and Equipment
This experiment 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 computer-based data collection
- List of materials and equipment
Note: The experiment preview of the computer edition 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.