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Use of respirometer

The document explains the use of a respirometer to measure the rate of respiration in organisms by observing the movement of liquid due to changes in gas volume and pressure. It discusses the role of potassium hydroxide in absorbing CO2, the calculation of respiration rates, and factors that can affect the results, such as temperature and the type of organism. Additionally, it covers respiratory substrates, their energy values, and the concept of respiratory quotient (RQ) to determine the type of substrate being oxidized during respiration.

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Rebeca Bayon
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3 views

Use of respirometer

The document explains the use of a respirometer to measure the rate of respiration in organisms by observing the movement of liquid due to changes in gas volume and pressure. It discusses the role of potassium hydroxide in absorbing CO2, the calculation of respiration rates, and factors that can affect the results, such as temperature and the type of organism. Additionally, it covers respiratory substrates, their energy values, and the concept of respiratory quotient (RQ) to determine the type of substrate being oxidized during respiration.

Uploaded by

Rebeca Bayon
Copyright
© © All Rights Reserved
We take content rights seriously. If you suspect this is your content, claim it here.
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Download as PPT, PDF, TXT or read online on Scribd
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Measuring the rate of respiration – The

Respirometer

Watch this video: https://www.youtube.com/watch?


v=r9o_VdToClE (this experiment does not have to be
done underwater).

•Key things to pay attention to as you watch it are:


•What potassium hydroxide is for? Absorb CO2, to form a solid.
•What causes the bubble in the respirometer to move? Lower volume so lower pressure.
•How would you calculate a rate? Volume/time.
•Why would you expect a difference in the three different organisms? Different rates of
aerobic respiration so taking up different volumes of oxygen.

•Temperature would change the rate of reaction and change the air pressure.
Respirometer used to
measure respiration rates
Syringe – reset the liquid level, Airtight – all joints
collection of repeated results and sealed with vaseline
measure the vol of O2 used up

A known mass of Waterbath at set


material e.g. temp. Allow time for
woodlice or seeds the apparatus to
stabilise

Soda
lime/KOH
to absorb Repeat at
CO2 different temps
Movement of
liquid = oxygen Compensation
uptake tube – takes into
account
Uptake over
changes due to
given time =
atmospheric Controls?
rate of
changes
respiration
• As the soda lime (same as potassium hydroxide) absorbs
the CO2 and as the O2 is used up, the volume of air in the
respiration chamber decreases.
• Reduced volume of air = reduced pressure
• There is a higher pressure in the tube than in the chamber
so air is drawn in, therefore the manometer fluid moves
towards the tube
• The rate the fluid moves can be measured
• Any pressure changes in the compensation tube will be due
to atmospheric pressure changes
• Distance fluid moved in this tube can be taken away from
distance in other tube for actual respiration rate
• The volume of gas can be calculated using the formula:
(πr2I)/t. So we need to know the diameter of the tube, how
far the bubble has moved and in how long.
• Add on some example of control variables to the diagram.
Examiner tip:
• The distance the fluid moved can be used to
calculate a VOLUME of oxygen used in the
respirometer:
– Formula: πr2I – where π is 3.14, the internal
diameter of the tube is usually 1.0mm and l is
distance moved by fluid
• Then you can calculate the RATE of
respiration =
Volume of oxygen taken up
Number of minutes the
respirometer was left for
Add to diagram - Factors to be
controlled:
• Volume or mass of organism
• Age of organism
• Species of organism
• Same pre-treatment of organisms
• Same equilibrium rate
• Same apparatus
• Same light intensity, temperature etc
• For compensation tube – use inert material or
dead organism so there is no respiration
Exam q practice - printed
Q4 page 179
Question: Explain why the results are different for
yeast respiring in different sugars. (Hint – use your
knowledge of biological molecules)

• Sucrose and maltose are disaccharides.


• Sucrase (enzyme) present in yeast.
• Sucrase hydrolyses glycosidic bonds.
• Yeast has gene for maltase BUT enzyme not
always present.
• Takes time to produce the enzyme (protein).
• Delay in maltose hydrolysis.
Respiratory substrates
A respiratory substrate is an organic substance that can be
used for respiration.

The majority of ATP made during aerobic respiration is made


during oxidative phosphorylation by chemiosmosis.

Different substrates yield different amounts of ATP because they


contain different amounts of hydrogen.

More hydrogen = more protons and electrons= more ATP made


and more oxygen needed as final hydrogen acceptor

 substrates with more hydrogen atoms per mole = more ATP


+ more oxygen needed
Respiratory substrates

Carbohydrate
• 1 molecule of glucose contains 2870 kJ of
energy, 30.6 kJ are needed to make 1 ATP.
• In theory, how many ATP molecules could be
made from 1 glucose? 93

• In reality only about 30 ATP are made, the


rest of the energy is released as

HEAT
Respiratory substrates
Energy values per gram of different respiratory
substrates
Substrate Mean energy
value ( kJg-1)
carbohydrate 15.8
lipid 39.4
protein 17.0
alcohol (ethanol) 29.0
What does this tell us about the structure of ethanol?
MORE HYDROGEN ATOMS PER MOLE THAN CARBOHYDRATE
AND PROTEIN BUT LESS THAN LIPID
Respiratory Quotient
The relationship between the amount of CO 2
produced and O2 used when different substrates
are used in cellular respiration.

RQ = CO2 produced
O2 Used

This helps us work out what types of food are


being oxidised in an organism.
Carbohydrates = RQ of 1
Fats = RQ of 0.7
Protein = RQ of 0.9
Anaerobic respiration = RQ more than 1 (less oxygen used compared
to CO2 produced)

However, protein is not usually used so an RQ of less than 1 would


indicate both carbs and fats are being used.

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