Weaver 1

Nicholas Weaver
Mr. Siedorf
Biology Honors
September 29, 2014

Organisms and pH Questions:

Acid
10
9
8
7
6
Tap Water 5
PH Level
4
3
2
1
0

Liver

Potato

10

Egg

15

Buffer

20

25

30

Number of Drops

Base
12
Tap Water

10

Liver

8
PH level

Potato

Egg

Buffer

2
0
0

10

15

20

Number of Drops

25

30

Weaver 2
1.

How did each of the three biological materials, especially liver

and potato, compare to tap water in their response to the
addition of an acid and a base?
The three biological materials -liver, potatoes, and eggscompared to tap water when we dropped a certain amount
of acid in it. Tap waters pH was supposed to drop a little
with every drop, just slightly more than that of liver and
potato. However due to human error we had a huge
decrease in the tap water pH. The result we should have

gotten was similar to the livers, eggs, and potatoes pH.

The three biological materials -liver, potatoes, and eggscompared to tap water when we dropped a certain amount
of base in it. All three biological materials appeared to be
increasing at the same rate along with tap water. We can
conclude that for the most part, all three biological
materials and tap water increase around the same amount

for every drop of base.

2. Is the pH response of the commercial buffer more like that of tap
water or more like that of one of the biological materials, if so
which?
The pH response of the commercial buffer was more like
that of one of the biological materials, eggs. This is due to
the buffer capability because it does not shift as much.
3. Which of the biological materials resisted pH shifts the best?
Which resisted the pH the worst? Why might that be?

Weaver 3

The biological materials that resisted pH shifts the best

were eggs. This is because of the amount of protein it has.
The biological material that resisted pH shifts the worst
were

potatoes.

This

is

because

of

the

amount

of

carbohydrates.
4. Why do you think biological materials act differently than water?
I think that biological materials act differently than water
because of the buffer ability due to the amount of protein
that they have, which needs to be able to change and
resist pH levels.
5. Do organisms need to resist shifts in pH? Why or why not? Does
the tap water need to resist shifts in pH? Why or why not?
Yes, organisms need to resist shifts in pH since living things
grow and survive in a particular pH environment and when
the pH is not correct their growth and survival are
threatened. Additionally, tap water does not need to resist
shifts in pH because water is not a living thing and it can
adapt to the different acids