Included with:
Lab Equipment Required: Description: The purpose of this exercise is to measure the rate of oxygen consumption in goldfish of different weights. Studies have shown that the rate of oxygen consumption (moles O2 consumed/unit time) is directly proportional to weight of the organism, meaning larger animals consume more oxygen. However, if metabolic data is expressed as the rate of oxygen consumption per unit weight (moles O2 consumed/unit time/unit weight), the opposite trend is found. Smaller animals consume more oxygen per gram of body weight than larger animals do. A log-log plot of O2 consumption rate/unit body weight against body weight reveals a linear relationship with a slope of around 0.75.
Goals
1. Students will learn to accurately weigh small organisms. 2. Students will learn to calibrate the dissolved oxygen sensor and measure the rate of oxygen consumption over time of different sized organisms. 3. Students will collect and analyze oxygen consumption curves to determine how oxygen consumption is related to the size of an organism. 4. Students will continue to be successful at using the LabScribe software to move cursors, analyze data, record data to the Journal, and add functions to the Analysis window.
Outcomes
Students who have successfully completed this exercise will: 1. have accurately measured the weight of small animals. 2. have successfully calibrated the dissolved oxygen sensor and recorded the oxygen consumption over time of various sized organisms. 3. after analyzing the data collected, be able to relate oxygen consumption to size. 4. come to a conclusion about any trends shown by this experiment. 5. feel comfortable transferring data to the Journal and interpreting that data to answer questions about their recordings. 6. have used the functions available in the Analysis window to determine values necessary for this exercise.
Included with: 
Lab Equipment Required: 
Description: In this experiment, you will examine one step within the Krebs cycle: the oxidation of succinic acid to fumaric acid. This reaction is catalyzed by the mitochondrial enzyme succinic dehydrogenase (SDH). SDH is covalently bonded to flavin adenine dinucleotide (FAD). FAD is reduced as succinic acid is oxidized. The reduced FAD passes its electrons through the electron transport system, where they are eventually passed to molecular oxygen to form water.
Goals
1. Students will examine one step in the process of the Kreb’s Cycle of Cellular Respiration, the oxidation of succinic acid to fumaric acid. 2. Students will use a spectrophotometer to observe changes in the color of dye-labeled mouse liver extract in order to examine rate of reaction. 3. Students will perform three (3) separate experiments: one without cyanide, one in the presence of cyanide, and one using a competitive inhibitor to respiration. 4. Students will collect data, and use linear regression analysis to find the line of best fit for each set of reactions. 5. Students will make a histogram to compare the rate of reaction of color change of the three experiments.
Outcomes
Students who have successfully completed this exercise will: 1. understand the process of Cellular Respiration at the mitochondrial level. 2. be able to successfully use a spectrophotometer to measure color changes over time. 3. understand the concept of competitive inhibition. 4. be able to explain what cyanide does to the rate of a cellular respiration reaction. 5. analyze data and design a histogram for data comparison. 6. feel comfortable transferring data to the Journal and interpreting that data to answer questions about their recordings. 7. have used the functions available in the Analysis window to determine values necessary for this exercise.
Included with:
Lab Equipment Required: Description: In this experiment, students will learn how to calibrate and use an oxygen polarograph, how various substrates, inhibitors, and uncouplers affect the rate of electron transport by monitoring changes in the rate of oxygen consumption. This lab will also look at how various electron donors affect P:O ratios. P:O ratios indicate the amount of ATP produced and the number of protons moved across the inner mitochondrial membrane for the number of electrons flowing through the electron transport chain and the amount of oxygen consumed.
Goals
1. Students will examine the electron transport process of mitochondrial respiration. 2. Students will use a dissolved oxygen electrode and cellular respiration chamber to observe changes in the amount of dissolved oxygen in a solution of mitochondria order to examine rate of reaction. 3. Students will perform experiments using couplers, uncouplers, inhibitors and donors to see the effects on cellular respiration. 4. Students will collect and analyze data to determine the effects of various chemicals on the respiration process.
Outcomes
Students who have successfully completed this exercise will: 1. understand the process of Cellular Respiration at the mitochondrial level. 2. be able to successfully use a dissolved oxygen probe to measure oxygen concentration changes over time. 3. understand the concept of competitive inhibition how donors, coupler and uncouplers work within the cellular metabolism process. 4. feel comfortable transferring data to the Journal and interpreting that data to answer questions about their recordings. 5. have used the functions available in the Analysis window to determine values necessary for this exercise.
Included with:
Lab Equipment Required: Description: In this experiment, students will learn how to calibrate and use an oxygen polarograph, how to measure the functionality of isolated thylakoids, how to measure electron transport in a complete photosystem and how to measure electron transport in a single photosystem (PS I).
Goals
1. Students will examine the process of photosynthesis using isolated thylakoids from chloroplasts. 2. Students will use a dissolved oxygen electrode and photosynthesis chamber to observe changes in the amount of dissolved oxygen in a thylakoid solution in order to examine rate of reaction. 3. Students will learn how to measure the functionality of isolated thylakoids and how to measure electron transport in a complete photosystem. 4. Students will also learn how to measure electron transport in a single photosystem (PS I). 5. Students will collect and analyze data to determine the effects of various chemicals on the photosynthetic process. 6. Students will continue to be successful at using the LabScribe software to move cursors, analyze data, record data to the Journal, and add functions to the Analysis window.
Outcomes
Students who have successfully completed this exercise will: 1. understand the process of Photosynthesis at the level of chloroplasts and photosystems within isolated plant organelles. 2. be able to successfully use a dissolved oxygen probe to measure oxygen concentration changes over time. 3. understand how uncouplers affect oxygen production rates in terms of phosphorylation, electron transport and chemiosmosis. 4. understand the relationship between light intensity and the rate of oxygen production in the whole electron transport process and in a single photosystem. 5. be able to compare coupled and uncoupled reactions between different experiments. 6. feel comfortable transferring data to the Journal and interpreting that data to answer questions about their recordings. 7. have used the functions available in the Analysis window to determine values necessary for this exercise.
Included with:
Lab Equipment Required: Description: This experiment also contains three exercises that measure photosynthetic electron transport in thylakoids with the same three compounds. This permits the results from intact cells to be compared to the results obtained from thylakoids that do not have the enzymes of the Calvin Cycle.
Goals
1. Students will examine the process of carbon dioxide fixation using intact algal cells. 2. Students will use a dissolved oxygen electrode and photosynthesis chamber to observe changes in the amount of dissolved oxygen in a thylakoid solution in order to examine rate of reaction. 3. Students will use three compounds to compare the effect on the rate of carbon dioxide fixation in intact cells: ◦ Iodoacetamide (IAA), which inhibits certain enzymes of the Calvin cycle, but should have no effect on photosynthetic electron transport. ◦ 3-(3,4-dichlorophenyl)-1,1-dimethylurea (DCMU), which blocks electron transport between the Qa and Qb quinones in the chain. ◦ Methylamine (MA), which should increase the rate of electron transport by uncoupling ATP synthesis from electron transport. 4. Students will continue to be successful at using the LabScribe software to move cursors, analyze data, record data to the Journal, and add functions to the Analysis window.
Outcomes
Students who have successfully completed this exercise will: 1. understand the process of Photosynthesis and CO2 fixation in intact algal cells. 2. be able to successfully use a dissolved oxygen probe to measure oxygen concentration changes over time. 3. understand how uncouplers affect oxygen production rates in terms of phosphorylation, electron transport and chemiosmosis. 4. understand the relationship between CO2 fixation in intact algal cells in both the dark and light; and the rate of oxygen production during the Calvin Cycle. 5. be able to compare oxygen production in algal cells and isolated thylakoids using the different chemicals. 6. feel comfortable transferring data to the Journal and interpreting that data to answer questions about their recordings. 7. have used the functions available in the Analysis window to determine values necessary for this exercise.
Included with:
Lab Equipment Required: Description: In this lab students will use a gas analyzer to observe the exchange of CO2/O2 and calculate the gas exchange ratio of a photosynthesizing plant. Students will also be able to adjust starting carbon dioxide concentrations, alter temperature or light availability to see the effect these change have on CO2 utilization and O2 production during photosynthesis.
Goals
1. Students will assemble the equipment to be able to record accurate gas analysis measurements. 2. Students will determine the rate of oxygen production and carbon dioxide utilization in a photosynthesizing organism. 3. Students will accurately analyze REE values. 4. An an option, students may record: ◦ A plant a room temperature and compare to a plant at either high or low temperature. ◦ A plant contained in one concentration of CO2 compared to a plant in a higher concentration of CO2. ◦ A plant with the light shining on the leaves to a plant in the dark.
Outcomes
Students who have successfully completed this exercise will: 1. determine mean REE of a plant. 2. determine the changes in CO2 and O2 concentrations over time. 3. make comparisons with the values obtained under different circumstances. 4. Use advanced analysis features to gather mathematical data.
Included with:
Lab Equipment Required: Description: In most metazoans metabolism is supported by aerobic production of energy equivalents (ATP). This process harnesses the energy released from the oxidation of glucose (or other substrates). The oxygen consumed is directly proportional to the energy produced (which in turn is proportional to the energy consumed) by the organism. Therefore, measurement of oxygen consumption is a viable indicator of total energy usage by organisms under most circumstances. The rate of oxygen consumption by organisms depends critically on a number of factors. The following must be carefully controlled: temperature, oxygen concentration, activity levels, feeding history, and body size. In the present experiment, we will examine the effects of starvation and temperature on the oxygen consumption rate of goldfish.
Goals
1. Students will learn to accurately weigh small organisms. 2. Students will learn to calibrate the dissolved oxygen sensor and measure the rate of oxygen consumption over time of organisms under different metabolic conditions. 3. Students will collect and analyze oxygen consumption curves to determine how oxygen consumption is related to the diet or ambient temperature of an organism. 4. Students will continue to be successful at using the LabScribe software to move cursors, analyze data, record data to the Journal, and add functions to the Analysis window.
Outcomes
Students who have successfully completed this exercise will: 1. have accurately measured the weight of small animals. 2. have successfully calibrated the dissolved oxygen sensor and recorded the oxygen consumption over time of organisms under various conditions. 3. after analyzing the data collected, be able to relate oxygen consumption to diet or ambient temperature. 4. come to a conclusion about any trends shown by this experiment. 5. feel comfortable transferring data to the Journal and interpreting that data to answer questions about their recordings. 6. have used the functions available in the Analysis window to determine values necessary for this exercise.
