Cell Respiration (IB Topic C1.2)

Ⓛ (analysis): Writing a Conclusion and Analysis — The “Back-end” of a Lab Report 

Assignment details here

Following any experiment, you should have enough data to:

• Make a graph 
• Use the graph to write a conclusion
• Write an analysis of the experiment 

For this assignment, you will be writing a shortened version of these parts. Make sure you understand how a respirometer works, then have at it! 

If you get stuck, here are guides to help you:

• Need help making a graph? Use this graphing guide

Once finished, watch this walkthrough video to see how you did

📄 (recommended): Flipchart to Respire (👭 max 4)

This is a memorization-heavy unit that is all about chemical cycles and processes. Grab a big piece of flipchart paper and make a diagram to summarize all the steps of cellular respiration. Here are the requirements: 

• Start by placing “Cellular Respiration” at the far left of your map. 
• Create separate bubbles/boxes for major processes such as glycolysis, the link reaction, the Krebs cycle, etc. 
• Include additional bubbles for critical molecules (e.g., glucose, pyruvate, ATP, NADH, FADH2, CO2, O2, water) and structures (e.g., mitochondrion, cytoplasm) 
• Draw lines between the bubbles to illustrate connections, and along each line, write short, descriptive words or verbs that explain the relationship (e.g., “yields,” “is converted into,” “produces,” “transfers electrons to”) 
• Your map should clearly show the flow of energy and matter, the role of electron carriers, and the distinction between aerobic and anaerobic pathways. 

Be creative and use arrows, colors, or symbols to enhance clarity and emphasize important steps. 

Ⓛ: The Big Squeeze (💁/ 👭 max 2)

Want to know what lactic acid in your muscles feels like? Grab a tennis ball and get squeezing. This lab will help you learn the basics of anaerobic respiration, and will get you some lab skills practice (which helps prep you for the upcoming IA). More lab practice is always a good idea!

Ⓛ: Anaerobic Respiration (💁/ 👭max 2)

There are several factors that can affect how quickly yeast can respire. Choose one of the following labs (verify ahead of time that our school lab has all required equipment). Answer all questions at the end of each lab.

• Respiration of Different Types of Sugar (using yeast)
• Measuring Pressure Changes in Yeast Fermentation
• Effect of Temperature on Fermentation (using yeast)
• Metabolism of Yeast at Different Temperatures

ⓟ/ⓦ: Why Foodies Love Biology (💁/ 👭max 2)

Bread. Beer. Wine (and all other alcohol). Kimchi. Cheese. Soy Sauce. Fish sauce. Yogurt. Kombucha. Yes…a world without anaerobic respiration would also be a world without any of these beloved things (plus many others). Together with your fellow podcasters, choose at least one food/drink example. Explain how anaerobic respiration works, (including a complete chemical equation); and then, discuss a world in which these things don’t exist. How would history have been different? How might cultures be different?

ⓡ (recommended): The Fun in Fermentation – A Student Discovers the Science of Wine-Making (💁)

Humans have been fermenting wine for over 6,000 years. Read this story/case study about a student first learning how to make wine – and the key science behind the process. Write out answers to the questions on pages 3-4 (you can ignore the rest). Your answers should be complete sentences with an attempt at quality writing. 

ⓟ/ⓦ: Beer (💁/ 👭max 3)

Beer is liquid bread. Just about all beer is made from the same key 4 ingredients (water, yeast, grains, and hops). Yet there are thousands of different types of beer in the world. Dive deeper into the science of beer (here’s another good video), and write/discuss the following: 

1. Explain the reaction that ferments beer
2. Explain the role of the grain and the yeast
3. Think and answer: What enzyme (in the body) achieves the same end result as the process of mashing? 
4. From a scientific standpoint, why was beer historically the ‘purest’ drink one could find…even safer than water?

Aerobic Respiration Activities: 

ⓦ: “Inquiry 5”: Q&A on Aerobic Respiration (💁/ 👭max 2)

Create a list of 5 inquiry questions related to aerobic respiration. Remember that good inquiry questions are conceptual / open-ended…

SUCH AS:  “How could mitochondria evolve through 

                    natural selection?” 

         NOT:  “Where does the krebs cycle take place?” 

If working solo, write out answers to your own questions with high quality explanations. If working in pairs, record yourselves asking each other your 5 questions.

Ӕ: The Academy – Respiration (💁)

Choose from: 

• Glycolysis
• The link reaction
• The Krebs Cycle
• The Electron Transport Chain

…and screencast Khan Academy-style video of you teaching a lesson of that phase of aerobic respiration. Include all the key terms and details, making sure you give an overview of where and when that phase takes place within respiration. The final product should be in the 5-10 minute range. Go here for inspiration!

Other: Puzzle: The Krebs Cycle (💁/ 👭max 2)

Print out the hexagons in this mini puzzle about the krebs cycle, then cut them out. Arrange them in correct order, then take a snapshot of your work and upload it to G. Classroom.  

Role-Play: The Electron Transport Chain (💁/ 👭NO max )

A great whole-class activity — just requires a bit of prep. Assuming you want to pull it off, you can “teach” this activity as a lesson. Organize the entire class into roles (e.g. NADH) and use tennis balls and golf balls to represent H+ ions and electrons. See if the class can figure out how they should be passing each across the “intracellular membrane”.

Other (Puzzle/Game): The Electron Transport Game (💁/ 👭max 2)

Print out the game pieces for the Electron Transport Game, and follow the directions as they’re stated. Take a picture of your game board as you’re playing, and submit that to G. Classroom.

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Extras: 

TED Talk: We Need to Feed the World: on the vital role of bread in feeding the world. 

Review worksheet 1

Review  worksheet 2