Experiment: The Effect of Different Temperatures on Germinating Beans

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The experiments we conducted studied the effect of different temperatures on germinating beans and how effective the cellular respiration of these beans are under these varying conditions. We performed two experiments, the first with temperature at 22ºC and the second with the temperature at 13ºC, both as the independent variable. Then, we measured the amount of carbon dioxide and oxygen from the bean container as the dependent variable. Our hypothesis was that the germinating beans respiration would be most effective at the room temperature. Our null hypothesis was that temperature wouldn’t have any effect on the germinating bean's respiration ability. Our resulting data rejected our null hypothesis in that temperature definitely affected the germinating beans effectiveness at respiration, and in fact the most effective temperature were the same as the temperatures the beans would naturally be conducting cellular respiration at, 22ºC.

In some aspects, plants and people are not much different from one another. Although plants make sugar out of energy from the sun, when plants need energy they have to metabolize their stored goods (sugar) through a process called Cellular Respiration. Cellular respiration is a “metabolic reaction and process that takes place in the cells of organisms to convert biochemical energy. Cells respond to changing metabolic needs by controlling reaction rates” (Biology Corner, n.d. p.1). The reactions involved in cellular respiration are catabolic pathways, their job is to break-down larger molecules into smaller ones, in return releasing energy. Respiration is one key way for a cell to gain and use useful energy for cellular activity. There were two parts to this experiment. The ...

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...at the amount of oxygen being consumed was considered to be the amount of oxygen required to complete the work being done.

Likewise at 22oC, the clover sprouts were producing carbon dioxide at a rate of 56.47 ppm/minute and when the temperature was reduced to 13oC, the rate was determined to be -0.8938 ppm/minute. These rates showed the clover sprouts were producing more carbon dioxide at 22oC than at 13oC.

The aerobic respiration of the clover sprouts was better utilized at 22oC because the oxygen was being consumed at a steady rate and the carbon dioxide was being produced and expelled more rapidly. This proves the point that the clover sprouts were using light energy and oxygen to break down the sugars producing more ATP and energy to assist in the reactions taking place within the cells. The carbon dioxide was produced and released during this process

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