The results, as shown in table 1.0 and figure 1.

0, show that sucrose evolved the greatest

amount of carbon dioxide. This was followed by fructose and afterwards, glucose. A final
volume of 18.32 cm
3
carbon dioxide was found to have evolved from sucrose and a final volume
of 9.16 cm
3
and 8.91 cm
3
carbon dioxide evolved from fructose and glucose respectively. Starch,
lactose and the distilled water on the other hand, did not show any significant evolution of
carbon dioxide.
By dividing the final volume of carbon dioxide produced over time of each of the
substrates, the rate of carbon dioxide evolution was calculated. As shown in figure 1.1, sucrose
(0.61 mL/min.) had the highest rate of carbon dioxide evolution followed by fructose (0.31
mL/min.) and glucose (0.30 mL). The rate of carbon dioxide evolution for starch, lactose and the
distilled water was zero. Water, being the control, is neither a fat, protein nor a carbohydrate that
is necessary for cellular respiration. It therefore showed no evolution of gas.
Further observation of the results show that sucrose had the fastest rate of carbon dioxide
evolution, while glucose, the simplest substrate evolved the slowest. This result may be due to
the ease with which the enzymes of yeast could break the sucrose bonds. Sucrose (C
12
H
22
O
11
) is
a common disaccharide found in plants composed of a molecule of glucose linked to a molecule
of fructose (Raven and Johnson, 1988). Sucrose could therefore produce twice the amount of
carbon dioxide than glucose and fructose, two known monosaccharaides.
The rate of carbon dioxide evolution for glucose and fructose compared to that of the
other substrates show very close results. This may result may be explained by the nature of the
two substances. Both glucose and fructose are monosaccharaides. Fructose (fruit sugar) and
glucose (blood sugar) both have the molecular formula: C
6
H
12
O
10
.
The lack of significant carbon dioxide evolution in starch and lactose on the other hand,
is due to the two substrates complex organic structures. Starch, a polymer of glucose monomers
(Reece, Urry, Cain, Wasserman, Minorsky, and Jackson, 2011), is a polysaccharide. The
structure of starch is too complex to be broken down by organisms like yeast. There is therefore
no evolution of carbon dioxide. The same applies for the lack of gaseous evolution in lactose.
Lactose is a very complex disaccharide that is a combination of glucose and galactose molecules.
Lactose requires a certain enzyme, which even some humans lack, in order to be broken down
into simpler substances.
From these results, considering the various conditions, the hypothesis that if the substrate
used affects the rate of cellular respiration, then the simpler the structure of the substrate, the
easier it will be for organisms to utilize the fuel, and therefore the faster the rate of cellular
respiration may be accepted.