THE RESPIROMETER

You are required to investigate some aspects of the respiration of mung bean
seedlings using a respirometer set up as shown below.

Set up the respirometer as follows:

 Soda lime granules (which are corrosive) have been placed inside one of the
syringes with which you have been supplied.
 Remove the plunger from this syringe.
 Take one of the mung bean seedlings and carefully remove and discard its testa
(seed coat).
 Place the seedling inside the syringe barrel as shown.
 Replace the plunger and push it in, until it is about 0.5cm from the seedling.
 Check that the syringe is attached securely to the capillary tube.
 Dip the end of the capillary tube into the manometer fluid provided, so that a
drop is introduced into the tube.
 The size of the drop of manometer fluid in the capillary tube is not important, as
long as it can be seen clearly.
 Place the respirometer horizontally on the separate piece of graph paper with
which you have been provided.
 Leave it for three minutes.
 Check that the manometer fluid is now moving smoothly towards the syringe.
 If it is not, wait until it does so.

(a) Without handling the apparatus measure, in mm, the distance travelled by the
manometer fluid in six consecutive time intervals, each of 1 minute. Do this by

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 marking the position of the fluid on the graph paper and reading off the distances
after the six minute period.

Record these results in the following table.

Minutes
1 2 3 4 5 6
Distance
travelled in
each
minute/mm

 Immediately you have recorded your results, detach the syringe from the
capillary tube by pulling it gently from the connector.
 Fit an empty 3cm3 syringe to the capillary tube and flush out the
manometer fluid onto a piece of filter paper or blotting paper so that the
bore of the capillary tube is empty.

(b) Plot a graph of your results.

(c) (i) Without quoting any numerical values, explain how this apparatus and
procedure allows you to monitor oxygen absorption by the mung bean seedling.

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(ii) Suggest an advantage of removing the testa from the seedling before it was
placed in the respirometer.

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(iii) Calculate the volume of oxygen (in mm3) which would have been taken up by
the mung bean seedling in one hour, given that:
the diameter of the bore of the capillary tube was 1mm
the formula for the volume of a cylinder is π x radius2 x length. (Take π=22/7).
Show how you arrive at your answer.

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(iv) What assumption about the rate of oxygen uptake have you made in the
calculation in (c)(iii)?

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(v) Comment on the validity of the assumption made in (c)(iv) by referring to your
results in (a) and (b).

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 Return to the syringe containing the mung bean seedling and soda lime.
 Remove the syringe plunger, and keeping the syringe more or less
horizontal, remove the seedling using a pair of forceps.
 Replace the plunger to approximately its original position in the syringe.
 Connect the syringe to the capillary tube.
 Introduce some manometer fluid as before.
 Place the respirometer on the piece of graph paper.

(d((i) Wait three minutes, then measure the distance travelled by the
manometer fuid in three consecutive time intervals of 1 minute.
Record these results in the table below.

Minutes
1 2 3
Distance
travelled in each
minute/mm

Flush the manometer fluid out of the capillary tube as in (a).

(ii)What information is provided by the results of the procedure in (d)(i) which is

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(e)(i) Place a mung bean seedling with (with testa removed) in a 3cm 3 syringe which
does not contain soda lime. Attach the syringe to the capillary tube. Introduce fresh
manometer fluid. Allow three minutes to elapse. Record, in the table, the distance
travelled by the manometer fluid in six consecutive time intervals, each of 1 minute.

State the direction in which any movement occurs.

eg. “towards the syringe”.

Minutes
1 2 3 4 5 6
Distance travelled in each
minute/mm
Direction of movement
(if it occurs)

(ii) Use your biological knowledge to account for the results you have obtained in (e)(i).

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(f) Apart from its small size, what is the main disadvantage of this type of
respirometer?

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