Cellular Respiration and Effects of Pollutants - Lab Report Example

Cellular respiration and effects of pollutants al Affiliation) The main reason for carrying out this experiment is to determine and understand how important cellular respiration is to life processes. The experiment also aims in determining the effect on the rate of cell respiration with changes in supply of a carbohydrate to the process. The test was also carried out also was to determine the effect of pollutants in an environment on respiration of organisms. The pollutants are thought to play a role in interruptions that occur in cellular respiration (Audesirk, Audesirk & Byers, 2006). Experiment on the effect was carried out using yeast and the focus of the experiment was given to the amount of gas that was being produced to determine amount of carbon dioxide in the produced gas. The gases are produced after the yeast cells carry out respiration. The experiment looked at how carbohydrates affect respiration that occurs in cells. This was investigated by addition of sugar to the yeast after the first test was carried out. The addition was aimed at production of more gas especially carbon dioxide which determined that the rate increased in cellular respiration. Pollutants in the experiment were expected to have an effect on the cellular rate of transpiration (Audesirk, Audesirk & Byers, 2006). More different pollutants were added to the yeast and the amount of carbon dioxide that was produced measured to determine the effect of the pollutants on cellular rate of transpiration. Introduction The main aim of the experiment was to determine the role of cellular respiration in the processes of life. Respiration in cells is defined as the course of energy from chemical in food is obtained and then converted to an energy form that can be utilized by living organisms in the course of living. The objectives of the experiment were to determine how the rate of cellular respiration is affected by the incidence of carbohydrates and also whether the rate was affected by pollutants (Jørgensen & Fath, 2008). Hypothesis of the experiment was that an organism will be exposed to a higher rate of cellular respiration with availability of carbohydrate than when there is no carbohydrate. Another hypothesis was that an organism will have a lower rate of cellular respiration with a source of carbohydrate and a pollutant than when there is a source of carbohydrate and without source of pollutant. The pollutants are thought to play a role in interruptions that occur in cellular respiration. There are two types of cellular respiration which both depend on energy. The two types of respiration include aerobic and anaerobic respiration. In aerobic respiration, there is the inclusion of oxygen in the breakdown of carbohydrates to produce energy. Anaerobic respiration occurs in the cells without the participation of molecules of oxygen but include other inorganic molecules to act as oxidants (Jørgensen & Fath, 2008). In respiration that there is no oxygen in the combination, the reaction that occurs is fermentation. In the experiment the reaction that occurs is mainly anaerobic but energy is required. The reason for the decreased rate of cellular respiration due to the addition of pollutants is that most pollutants that were used were harmful to the cells of living organisms. The harmful nature of the pollutants disabled the yeast in carrying out cellular respiration. Objectives and hypothesis The objectives of the experiment were to determine how the rate of cellular respiration is affected by the incidence of carbohydrates and also whether the rate was affected by pollutants. Hypothesis of the experiment was that an organism will be exposed to a higher rate of cellular respiration with availability of carbohydrate than when there is no carbohydrate. An hypothesis that can be formed for the experiment is that an organism is to have a lower rate of cellular respiration with a source of carbohydrates and a pollutant than that in a source of carbohydrate and without a source of pollutant. Another hypothesis that is formed for the experiment states that an organism is expected to have a larger rate of cell respiration with a source of carbohydrates than when there is without a source of carbohydrates and an organism Method In conducting the experiment, yeast and water are added together. Yeast mixture is poured in a test tube and another test tube is placed on top. The test tubes are then flipped up and down and at the time, the cap test tube is filled with the mixture of yeast. The gas that is produced is observed and measured after ten minutes to come out with the rate of cellular respiration (Pokorski, 2013). In the process to determine how carbohydrates affect the rate of cellular respiration, there was addition of sugar granules to the mixture of yeast. The mixture was also covered and flipped just like the first one was done and the amount of gas that was produced measured after a period of ten minutes. To determine the effect of pollutants to the mixture, there was the addition of pollutants. The pollutants that were used include bleach solution, salt solution, soap solution, vinegar and baking soda. The previous method was used in the experiment and each solution was used separately with the amount of carbon dioxide that was produced being recorded after a period of ten minutes. The step experiment entailed taking two test tubes and labeling them with a wax marker. The labeling was done by labeling yeast to be Y, S for sugar and W for water. The test tubes are then placed on a test tube rack and hot water is poured into a beaker. Take2.5mL of yeast and transfer it into beaker labeled 1. Take 2.25mL of yeast and 2.5mL of granulated sugar and pour both into beaker labeled 2. Swirl the beaker to mix the sugar and yeast together. Add 13mL of warm tap water into each beaker, whirl all beaker thoroughly to mix them. Pour the solution of beaker labeled 1 into test tube labeled 1. Invert test tube1 and place over centrifuge tube1. Time is recorded as the experiment is carried out with consideration of amount of gas produced. Record and find the volume of gas in each centrifuge tube at 1 minute intervals over a period of 10 minutes In the experiment, the results were obtained so that conclusion could be made on the hypothesis of the experiment. The observation that was made on yeast mixture for ten minutes was compared to the yeast-sugar solution. The mixture was observed to have a faster rate of cellular respiration due to the increased amount of gas that was produced. The results that were obtained from pollutant were seen to be varied since there was use of different pollutants. Most of the pollutants that were used had slow rate of cellular respiration. Baking powder however has a higher rate of cellular respiration since it has elements of carbohydrates in it. Timing is a major aspect in the experiment as poor timing will affect the results that are obtained from the mixtures. Results The gasses that were produced were recorded and the 1 minute interval for 10 minutes for centrifuge tube that contain yeast and water versus centrifuge tube that contains yeast, water and sugar. The results that were obtained in the experiment were after 10 minutes were recorded in the table below. Tube Gas volume (ml) in centrifuge Tube an time (min) label contents 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 Yeast, water 2 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2 Yeast, water, sugar 5 6 6 8 10 12 14 16 18 19 20 In the results that are obtained from the experiments, the yeast had an increased rate of cellular respiration with a source of carbohydrates. The yeast ad water when mixed only produced 2.5ml amount of carbon dioxide in a given period of first minute. The other minutes that remained of the interval, the yeast was observed not to create any additional carbon dioxide. The solution that contained yeast, water and sugar produced a volume of 5ml carbon dioxide within the first minute. At four minutes, there was an increase in the amount of carbon dioxide to 10ml and at the end of the 10minutes interval; there was an increase to create 20ml of carbon dioxide. The amount of carbon dioxide that was produced when pollutants were included in the solution can be shown in the table below. Amount of carbon dioxide produced in ten minutes Group Simulated pollutant Gas volume (ml) in centrifuge tube at time 0 1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 10 1 alcohol 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2.5 2 Vinegar 3 4 4 4 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.5 3.8 3.8 3 3 Salt solution 2 2 2 3 5 6 7 8 9 9 10 4 Baking soda solution 0 1 2 5 13 18 20 20 20 20 20 5 Bleach solution 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 3 6 Soap solution 4 4.5 5 5.5 6 7 7 7.5 7.5 7.5 7.5 From the results, alcohol as a pollutant produced a steady amount of carbon dioxide and it occurred in all the period that the experiment t was carried out. The vinegar created started at a low volume of 3ml of carbon dioxide, increased to 4ml and then again dropped. The salt solution started for a low volume increased and then it was maintained to the tenth minutes of the experiment (Maier, Pepper & Gerba, 2000). Baking soda solution created no volume at the beginning of the experiment but there was a steady increased in the amount of carbon dioxide in the experiment. At the 6th minute, there was a creation of 20ml and the volume was maintained in the other intervals of the experiment. The bleach solution created a volume of 3ml of carbon dioxide at the beginning of the experiment and did not create any more volume of carbon dioxide through the ten minute interval. The soap solution created 4ml of carbon dioxide and increased in a slow way to 7.5 in seven minutes and did not create any further volume of carbon dioxide. Total volume of carbon dioxide that was produced and cellular respiration rate for combination of yeast, water, sugar and pollutant can be presented in the table below Tube contents Total volume of carbon dioxide produced Cellular respiration rate (ml/min) Yeast and water 0.5 0.05 Yeast, water and sugar 15 1.5 Yeast, water, sugar and alcohol 2.5 0.25 Yeast, water, sugar and vinegar 0 0 Yeast, water, sugar and salt solution 8 0.8 Yeast, water, sugar and baking powder 20 1.8 Yeast, water, sugar and bleach solution 0 0 Yeast, water, sugar and soap solution 3.5 0.35 Discussion In the hypothesis of the experiment, it was stated that an organism is expected to have a larger rate of cell respiration with a source of carbohydrates than when there is without a source of carbohydrates and an organism will be exposed to lower rate of cellular respiration with an input of carbohydrates and a pollutant than it is in a source of carbohydrates and when there is no source of pollutant. The theory that was stated in the experiment that an organism will have a larger rate of cellular respiration with an input of carbohydrates than when there is no source of carbohydrates. These hypotheses are supported from the experiment. The rate of cellular respiration in the carbohydrates mixture was greater than the rate of cellular respiration than that in the yeast mixture. The occurrence takes place because there was a source of energy in the yeast. In order to carry out respiration by the cells, there is need of energy by an organism. In the experiment, the organism used granulated sugar as a source of energy. Since the yeast cells had a source of energy, it was able to undergo the process of cellular respiration more that it is able without having a source of energy in the contents. The other hypothesis that was formed in the experiment was that an organism is to have a lower rate of cellular respiration with a source of carbohydrates and a pollutant than that in a source of carbohydrate and without a source of pollutant is proved from the experiment (Maier, Pepper & Gerba, 2000). From the experiment, the result obtained shows that all pollutants that were employed had a lower rate of cellular respiration than a carbohydrates mixture with no pollutants. The reason for the decreased rate of cellular respiration due to the addition of pollutants is that most pollutants that were used were harmful to the cells of living organisms. The harmful nature of the pollutants disabled the yeast in carrying out cellular respiration. Baking powder however did not display the same trend as the other pollutants. It had an increase in the rate of cellular respiration. The reason behind this is that baking powder had elements of carbohydrates as it has hydrogen, carbon and also oxygen. Conclusion The rate of respiration in cells is supported by energy that is obtained from carbohydrates or other starch. Energy is the most important element in respiration. All pollutants that were employed had a lower rate of cellular respiration than a carbohydrates mixture with no pollutants. The reason for the decreased rate of cellular respiration due to the addition of pollutants is that most pollutants that were used were harmful to the cells of living organisms. Reference Audesirk, T., Audesirk, G., & Byers, B. (2006). Life on earth. Upper Saddle River, N.J.: Pearson Prentice Hall. Jørgensen, S., & Fath, B. (2008). Encyclopedia of ecology. Amsterdam, Netherlands: Elsevier. Maier, R., Pepper, I., & Gerba, C. (2000). Environmental microbiology. San Diego, Calif.: Academic Press. Pokorski, M. (2013). Neurobiology of respiration. Dordrecht: Springer. Tortora, G., Funke, B., & Case, C. (2005). Microbiology. San Francisco, CA: Benjamins Cummings. Read More