Tasheika Richards 6AS

LAB # 6

SKILL (PD)

TITLE: Respiration

PROBLEM/QUESTION: Do germinating seeds respire faster at different points of germination

HYPOTHESIS: The rate of respiration for the 4 day germinating black eyed peas respire faster
than the 2 day germinating black eyed peas

AIM: To determine the respiratory rate of germinating Black Eye pea’s seedlings germinating for 2 days
and 4 days using a simple respirometer.

APPARATUS/MATERIALS: Dye, cotton balls, 3 syringe barrel, soda lime stones, 15

germinating black eyed pea seeds, 3 wire gauze, 3 syringe plunger, 3 capillary tubes , 3
transparent cups.

METHOD:

1. Gather all materials that are stated above

2. Obtain 15 black eyed peas of the same size, shape and colour
3. Five seed should be left to germinate for four days while five seeds should be left to
germinate for two days and the other five should be left for controlled experiment
4. Label the transparent cups A, B and C
Tasheika Richards 6AS

5. Damp five cotton balls with water and placed in each cup
6. Ensure the seeds are sterilized prior to germination; Place 5 of the seeds left to germinate in
each cup
7. Allow the seeds in cup A to germinate for 2 days , the seeds in cup B to germinate for 4 days
and the seeds in cup C to germinate for a day before the experiment (control)
8. Ensure cups are placed within the same condition or surrounding with seeds before
germination
9. Repeat all the steps mentioned above for a second trial
10. On the experimentation day remove the testa from the seeds in order to increase the surface
area and also to increase the uptake of oxygen which will then lead to an increase rate of
respiration
11. Label syringe A, B and C; place five soda lime stones into the barrel of syringe A and B
12. Ensure to cover each with a disc of wire gauze to prevent the soda limes stones from mixing
with the germinating seeds
13. Add the 2 days germinating seeds to syringe A and the 4 days germinating seeds to syringe B
use the plunger to touch the seeds.
14. Add the one day germinating seeds to the barrel of a syringe label C; do not put any soda
lime in this syringe
15. Attach a 1mm diameter carefully tube to the end of the syringe
16. Carefully dip the end of the capillary tube into the dye ; slowly pull up a drop of dye a short
distance into the capillary tube by releasing the syringe plunger
17. Place a ruler along the capillary tube in order to measure the displacement of the dye
18. Ensure to record the initial value that the dye moved to
19. Record the distance the dye moves at a two minute interval for the 10 minutes
20. Average the movement of the dye obtain from the two trials
21. Repeat steps 16- 20 using the syringe A,B,C
22. Record all results in suitable tables

TREATMENT OF RESULTS:
Tasheika Richards 6AS

TABLE SHOWING THE DISTANCES TRAVELED BY THE DYE FOR TEN

MINUTES AND THE OXYGEN UPTAKE BY THE GERMINATING SEEDS FOR
TWO DAYS , FOUR DAYS AND ONE DAY RESPECTIVELY

Syringe A- Seeds Germinating for 2 days

Trial 1 Trial 2

Time/min Initial Initial Distance Initial Initial Distance

Position of Position of travelled Position of Position of travelled
dye/mm dye/mm by dye/mm dye/mm by
Dye/mm Dye/mm
2
4
6

10

Syringe B- Seeds Germinating for 4 days

Trial 1 Trial 2

Time/min Initial Initial Distance Initial Initial Distance

Position of Position of travelled Position of Position of travelled
dye/mm dye/mm by dye/mm dye/mm by
Dye/mm Dye/mm
2
4
6
Tasheika Richards 6AS

10

Syringe C- Seeds Germinating without baking soda lime for 4 days -Control experiment

Time/min Initial Position of Initial Position of Distance travelled by

dye/mm dye/mm Dye/mm
2
4
6

10

VARIABLES:

Manipulated:

The seeds that were germinated

The germination days ( 1,2,4 days used)

Responding:

Movement of dye towards the germinating seeds( rate of respiration )

Oxygen uptake by respiring seeds

Controlled:

The characteristics of the seeds were the same , colour , size, shape
The days the seeds were left to germinate
The seeds would be observe at the same time intervals
The seed were of the same type i.e. black eyed peas
Tasheika Richards 6AS

EXPECTED RESULTS:

It is expected that the dye present in the syringe with the 4 days germinating peas will move
faster since more respiration will occur in the 4 day germinating peas as it needs more energy
comparing to the 2 days germinating peas, In addition it is expected that the control experiment
will show no change over the ten minute period as the dye will not move since CO2 and O2 are
competing to fill the air spaces in the capillary.

DATA ANALYSIS:

The hypothesis presented was that the rate of respiration for the 4 days germinating black eyed
peas respire faster than the 2 day germinating black eyed peas; it is correct and would be
accepted since The seeds that would germinating the longest would be the seeds for the four days
since they are more developed and mature than the 2 days seeds. The more developed or mature
the seedlings become; the more respiration will take place because more energy is required for it
to support its larger form.

LIMITATION:

The rate of germination of the seeds

Rate of respiration of the seeds
The temperature