Photosynthesis and Cellular

Respiration Lab
Lauren Bertelson, Hannah Gorman, Danielle Honan, Kiera Jost
Hypothesis
To some extent, increased temperature may result in higher levels of CO2 because
temperature increases the kinetic energy of molecules and therefore more CO2 may be
produced at higher temperatures.
Background Info: Photosynthesis
Process by which plants and algae
use energy from sunlight to create
chemical energy
Light-energized
oxidation-reduction reaction
Catalyzed by enzymes
Releases oxygen into
atmosphere, removes carbon
dioxide
6CO2 + 6H2O C6H12O6 +
6O2
Background Info: Photosynthesis
Occurs because light is
absorbed
This is done through the plants
chlorophylls and carotenoids
Chlorophylls absorb blue and red
light
Carotenoids absorb blue-green
Green and yellow light are not
absorbed, which is why plants are
green
Background Info: Cellular Respiration
Glycolysis Electron Transport
In the cytoplasm In the inner mitochondrial
2 ATP and 2 NADH produced membrane
Glucose > 2 pyruvates 32-34 ATP produced
Pyruvate Conversion
Pyruvate > Acetyl-CoA
2 NADH produced
Citric Acid Cycle
In the mitochondrial matrix
2 ATP, 6 NADH, and 2 FADH2
Produces CO2

Cellular respiration needs oxygen to prevent

fermentation
Background Info: Our Factor (Temperature)
Kinetic energy: the motion of molecules
High temperature = high kinetic energy
Low temperature = low kinetic energy
Temperature is the measurement of heat generated
by the motion of molecules
Increase in temperature increases kinetic energy,
so molecules move with faster velocity
Decreasing temp decreases kinetic energy, so
molecules move with slower velocity
At extreme high temperatures, molecules will be
denatured
Background Info: Lab
Variables:
Independent: Time
Dependent:
Absorption/pH

Controls: Room Temperature

Procedure
1. Obtain 4 beakers
2. Fill 3 beakers with water (RT)
3. Place 2 beakers with RT water on a hot plate. Heat one until it reaches 35C and heat the other until it
reaches 50C
4. Put ice (snow) in another beaker
5. Label the vials 1-5
6. Place Vial 1 in the ice, Vial 2 in the 23C water, Vial 3 on the counter, Vial 4 in the 35C water, and Vial 5 in
the 50C water.
7. Wait 5 min and take them out, collect and record data.
8. Place the vials back in the same environment ASAP.
9. Repeat steps 6-8 until 25 min has passed.
Data (day 1)
Blank spaces due to lack of time
Vial # 1 2 3 4 5

Temperature (C) 1C 17C 23C 35C 51C

Absorbance (5 min) .103 .186 .051 .203 .028

Absorbance (10 min) .362

Absorbance (15 min)

Absorbance (20 min)

Absorbance (25 min)

Data (day 1)
Blank spaces due to lack of time
Vial # 1 2 3 4 5

Temperature (C) 1C 17C 23C 35C 51C

pH (0 min) 8.3 8.3 8.3 8.3 8.3

pH (5 min) 7.7 8.1 7.9 7.7 7.9

pH (10 min) 7.5 7.9 8.1 8.0 8.1

pH (15 min)

pH (20 min)

pH (25 min)
Data (after 24 hours)

Vial # 1 2 3 4 5

pH 7.1 7.1 7.1 7.1 7.1

Absorbance .028 .018 .018 .014 .015

 Data (day 2)
Vial # 1 2 3 4 5

Temperature 1C 17C 23 35 51

Absorbance (5 min) .017 .227 .389 .106 .474

Absorbance (10 min) .077 .064 .173 .251 .384

Absorbance (15 min) .496 .028 .247 .457 .37

Absorbance (20 min) .041 .304 .96 .799 .024

Data (day 2)
Vial # 1 2 3 4 5

Temperature (C) 1 17 23 35 51

pH (0 min) 8.3 8.3 8.3 8.3 8.3

pH (5 min) 7.9 7.9 7.9 7.9 7.9

pH (10 min) 7.7 7.5 7.7 7.5 7.9

pH (15 min) 7.5 7.5 7.7 7.5 7.7

pH (20 min) 7.5 7.5 7.7 7.7 7.7

Analysis
The highest absorption level after 20 min is .96 in a 23C environment.
The photosynthesis occurs the quickest in an environment with a temperature of
23-25C because the molecules are moving at good speed.
If the temperature is too low, the molecules move too slow.
If the temperature is too high, the molecules move too fast and get denatured.
Conclusion
Our hypothesis was that, to some extent, increased temperature may result in higher
levels of CO2, because temperature increases the kinetic energy of molecules and
therefore more CO2 may be produced at higher temperatures. This was supported by
our data because in Vial 3, which was kept at RT (23C), the absorbance eventually
reached the highest absorbance (.96 at 20 min). Vial 4, which was kept at 35C, came
close to this peak absorbance with a final absorbance of .799 at 20 min. Yet our
hypothesis that increased temperature would only result in higher levels of CO2 to
some extent was confirmed because Vial 5, kept at 50C, ended with an absorbance of
only .024 at 20 min.
Conclusion
Due to our results, we can conclude that our hypothesis was accurate and that the
best temperature range for algae CO2 production is between 23C and 35C.
Somewhere in this range, CO2 production will reach its peak. This is because
increased temperature increases the kinetic energy/speed of molecules, but at a
certain point, temperature is too great and molecules are denatured. That is why the
peak is between 23C and 35C - any higher temperature begins to denature
molecules. Our data also supports the idea that lower temperatures lead to lower
kinetic energies and therefore a lower production of CO2, as Vial 1 (1C) and Vial 2 (17
C) had absorbances of only .041 and .304 at 20 min, respectively.
Conclusion
One source of error could be the time when we were collecting data that the vials were
not placed in their beakers at their designated temperature. In this time, the vials at
colder temperatures, through heat transfer, would become warmer, and the vials at
warmer temperatures would become cooler. Because we had to wait in line to use the
spectrophotometer, there was a small amount of time that might have contributed to
error in our data.

The results show that photosynthesis is most efficient in a certain temperature range.
This is important because if a plant is in an environment that is either too cold or hot,
photosynthesis cannot function properly.
Conclusion
Another possible source of error is that the temperature that the indicator was
exposed to may have affected the density of the liquid, which could have in turn
affected the absorbency reading.

This may have had a minor effect, and most likely no large scale effects because the
temperature variation was in small increments. So the density shouldnt have varied
enough to make a significant impact.
Bibliography
Campbell, Neil A., and Jane B. Reece. Biology. 8th ed. San Francisco: Pearson
Benjamin Cummings, 2008. Print.

"Photosynthetic Cells." Nature.com. Macmillan Publishers, n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2017.

"Temperature." Wikipedia. Wikimedia Foundation, n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2017.

"What Is Temperature?" Temperature. N.p., n.d. Web. 19 Jan. 2017.