IIT/FIELD MUSEUM—High School Transformation Project
Biology
Cellular Respiration and Alcoholic Fermentation
Biology: Illinois Edition (Glencoe)
Unit 2 The Cell
Chapter 8 Cellular Energy
Section 8.3 Cellular Respiration
Guiding Question(s)
How do plant and animal cells release energy? How do organisms produce energy in the absence of
oxygen? What is the evidence for cellular respiration in animals?
Context of Lesson
Cellular respiration is carried out by every cell in both plants and animals. Cellular respiration is a
bioenergetic process by which food is broken down by the body’s cells to produce energy in the form of
ATP molecules. Cells can release energy in two processes: cellular respiration and fermentation.
Aerobic cellular respiration requires oxygen but anaerobic fermentation does not. Cellular respiration
releases more useable energy than fermentation.
The first experiment involves the breakdown of food molecules by yeast in the absence of oxygen. The
production of bubbles (carbon dioxide) can be used to observe that anaerobic respiration (alcoholic
fermentation) is taking place.
The second activity demonstrates the role of “breathing” in cellular respiration. Students will observe
that CO2 is one of the waste products of aerobic cellular respiration. Students will blow bubbles into a
beaker of water containing bromothymol blue. Bromothymol blue is a pH indicator that remains blue in
basic solutions and turns yellow in acidic solutions (specifically: blue above pH 7.6, yellow below pH 6.0).
Carbonic acid forms when the exhaled carbon dioxide mixes with water and turns the BTB yellow.
Students should observe that fermentation and aerobic cellular respiration produce carbon dioxide as a
waste product.
Main Goals/ Objectives
Students will be able to:
 Explain the differences between aerobic and anaerobic respiration
 Develop an understanding of ATP as an energy source
 Compare and contrast the reactants and products associated with anaerobic fermentation and
aerobic cellular respiration
 Create a graphic presentation of collected data using Excel or a similar computer program
In addition, students will be able to:
 Explain that scientific knowledge should be based on empirical data.
 Explain that explanations are developed from a combination of collected data and what is
already known.
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Nature of Science: Integrated Theme
 Distinguish observations from inferences, explain that inferences should be based on
observations and explain that the development of scientific knowledge involves both
observations and inferences so scientific knowledge is partially inferential.
 Explain that scientists’ background knowledge and creativity influence their doing inquiry so
they may have different observations and interpretations of the same phenomena.
 Explain that scientific knowledge should be based on empirical data.
Scientific Inquiry: Integrated Theme
 Explain that scientific investigations all begin with a question, but do not necessarily test a
hypothesis
 Explain that there is no single scientific method and provide at least two different methods
 Explain that inquiry procedures are guided by the question asked
 Explain that all scientists performing the same procedures may not get the same results
 Explain that inquiry procedures can influence the results
 Explain that research conclusions must be consistent with the data collected
 Explain that scientific data are not the same as scientific evidence
 Explain that explanations are developed from a combination of collected data and what is
already known
General Alignment to Standards
ILS Goals
STATE GOAL 11: Understand the processes of scientific inquiry and technological design to investigate
questions, conduct experiments and solve problems.
A. Know and apply the concepts, principles and processes of scientific inquiry.
ILS 11.A.4a Formulate hypothesis referencing prior research and knowledge
ILS 11.A.4b Conduct controlled experiments or simulations to test hypotheses
ILS 11.A.4c Collect, organize and analyze data accurately and precisely
ILS 11.A.4e Formulate alternative hypotheses to explain unexpected results
STATE GOAL 12: Understand the fundamental concepts, principles and interconnections of the life,
physical and earth/space sciences.
A. Know and apply concepts that explain how living things function, adapt and change.
ILS 12.A.4b Describe the structures and organization of cells and tissues that underlie basic
life functions including nutrition, respiration, cellular transport, biosynthesis and
reproduction.
STATE GOAL 13: Understand the relationships among science, technology and society in historical and
contemporary contexts.
A. Know and apply the accepted practices of science.
ILS 13.A.5a Design procedures and policies to eliminate or reduce risk in potentially
hazardous science activities.
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Biology
PSAE Goals:
STANDARD 12 – LIVING THINGS
12.11.07 Understand the chloroplasts in plant cells capture useable energy from sunlight and store it for
future use by synthesizing sugar out of carbon dioxide and water.
12.11.09 Understand that the chief energy-storing compound used by organisms is ATP.
Materials
Day 1 (Per group of 3 or 4 students)
2 55 ml test tubes (control and experimental)
1 50 ml of warm (not boiling) water for each test tube
2 glass eyedroppers
4 metal washers (two for each experiment)
4 grams of fresh yeast (2 grams for each eyedropper)
2-3 mL apple juice for both control and experimental test tubes
1 stopwatch
Day 2 (per student)
3- 5 drops Bromothymol blue pH indicator
30 mL Distilled water
1 Straw
50 mL beaker
Teacher Notes
 Use two 1000 ml beakers to warm water, two thermometers and two hot plates.
Preheat the water bath to 40 degrees C. CAUTION: overheating the water to boiling will kill
the yeast cells.
 Allowing the students to create their own procedure, the teacher should guide them in adding
approximately a fifty-fifty (50-50) mix of yeast and apple juice in the bulb of the eyedropper.
 Since plants not only photosynthesize but conduct cellular respiration as well, it is important to
connect the outputs of photosynthesis to the inputs in cellular respiration in plants.
Safety
 Before you select items for this activity, determine if the students have any known food
allergies or chemical sensitivities.
• Emphasize that under no circumstances should students taste any substances in the laboratory.
• Remind students to use lab materials ONLY as directed.
• Everyone should wear chemical splash goggles , gloves and aprons.
• Wash hands thoroughly after handling material and before eating or drinking.
Hot plate safety
 Do not evaporate all of the solvent or otherwise heat a mixture to dryness on a hot plate—the
glass may crack unexpectedly when heated directly on a hot plate. Use a medium-to-mediumhigh setting of the hot plate to heat most liquids, including water. Do not use the high setting to
heat low-boiling liquids. Do not place metal foil or metal containers on the hot plate—it might
damage the top and a shock hazard may result.
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


Be careful when removing hot glassware or pouring hot liquids from the hot plate. Use tongs or
silicone rubber heat protectors (gripping devices). Turn off the hot plate when not in use. The
surface of a hot plate stays hot for quite some time—and looks the same as a cold hot plate!
Place a bold, laminated “HOT” caution sign in front of the hot plate immediately after use.
Bromothymol Blue Health Effects: Eyes: Redness, tearing, itching, burning, inflammation.
Skin: Redness, itching. Inhalation: Irritation of mucous membranes, coughing, wheezing, or
shortness of breath.
Use ventilation to keep airborne concentrations below exposure limits. Provide approved
eyewash facility and fire extinguishers readily available.
Facilitation
1 – 2 Days before the Photosynthesis model lesson.
The Lesson
Guiding Question(s)
How do organisms produce energy in the absence of oxygen?
Day 1
Bell Ringer
Introduce the lesson connecting to students’ prior knowledge about the characteristics of living things.
ASK: “What do you know about yeast?” Then ASK: “How is yeast used? “ Some students may know that
yeast is used in baking, but likely will not know why.
Activity
Students will investigate alcoholic fermentation in a yeast (a single-celled fungus), Saccharomyces
cerevisiae, or “baker’s yeast.” In an anaerobic environment, some fungi, including yeast and most
plants, switch from cellular respiration to alcoholic fermentation. The fermentation of glucose yields
ethyl alcohol, carbon dioxide, and a net of 2 ATP molecules. Glucose is a monosaccharide and is the
primary carbohydrate energy source for the cells of many organisms.
Humans have taken advantage of yeast fermentation to produce alcoholic beverages and bread for
many centuries. In the process of bread making, flour, milk, and sugar are mixed with yeast. As the
warm dough rises, yeast runs out of oxygen and uses fermentation to convert the sugar to alcohol and
carbon dioxide. The resulting carbon dioxide gas is trapped, causing the dough to rise. The yeast is
killed and the small amount of ethanol produced evaporates during baking.
Distribute Mini Lab 9.3 (Glencoe 2004 edition) procedure handout, Alcoholic Fermentation lab
worksheet and sign out lab equipment to each lab group. Ask the students to study the diagram on the
procedure handout and setup their own experiment. During the experiment, students should complete
the data table on the lab worksheet and answer the analysis questions.
Observation /Discussion Questions
1. What changes do you observe?
2. What is the source of energy that caused these changes?
3. Why was warm water used?
4. Predict what will happen after a day of fermentation.
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Assessments
Students should demonstrate comprehension by verbally expressing a summary of their findings to the
class. Otherwise, the teacher can circulate around the room and prompt members of each group to
express the “big idea” of the lesson, which is as fermentation occurs, carbon dioxide will form and
bubbles will accumulate at the top of the pipette. Students should understand what the reactants
produce and which two (2) waste compounds are made in addition to ATP from fermentation. Explain
that the reaction is considered anaerobic because it does not use oxygen.
Alcoholic Fermentation
Glucose
C6H12O6
Carbon Dioxide + Ethyl Alcohol + 2 ATP
2 CO2 + 2 C2H5OH + 2 ATP
Use the data collected to create a line graph. Answer questions 1 - 5 using the graph.
Assignment
Create a graph using Excel or a similar graphing software and analyze the data results.
Debriefing
A short discussion should follow the activity. Again, the goal is to have the students express the “big
idea” of the lesson without simply repeating words and formulas.
After this discussion, debrief the students on their knowledge of inquiry and the aspects of Nature of
Science. When debriefing the students, refer to your charts posted in the classroom. Probe the
students on which aspects of Nature of Science were applicable in this lesson. Refer to the lists on the
first page of the model lesson. The students should be able to come up with most, if not all, of the items
on the list.
Nature of Science
• Observation vs. inference- What do the bubbles represent?
• Creativity- Are all the procedures implemented from the picture the same?
• Subjectivity- Do the students’s bring their own background knowledge to the lab?
• Empirical Data- Why are student measurements different?
Scientific Inquiry
• Are we testing a hypothesis?
• Did we follow a single scientific method?
• Was the procedure guided by the question?
• Did all of the students get the same results?
• Did the students’ inquiry procedures influence their results?
• Is the conclusion consistent with the data?
• Can evidence be drawn from the data collected?
• Can students explain what has happened from the data collected?
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Modifications/Accommodations
 If Students need more support, discuss conclusions as a class discussion.
 For more advanced classes, the discussion in the middle of the period can be more open-ended
and more in-depth.
Attachments
Procedure handout - Mini Lab 9.3 (Glencoe 2004 edition) handout
Student Data Sheet – Cellular Respiration Data Analysis (Fermentation)
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Name ________________________
Date ______________
Alcoholic Fermentation Data Analysis
TIME (Minutes)
NUMBER OF BUBBLES
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10
Use the information collected in the lab to create a line graph. Answer the following questions using
the graph.
1. What is the independent variable?
2. What is the dependent variable?
3. Using the data, can you draw a line of best fit?
4. Using interpolation, what is the difference between the number of bubbles at 2 seconds and the
number of bubbles at 4 seconds?
5. Can you extrapolate (hypothesize a trend) from the data?
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Biology
Guiding Question
What is the evidence for cellular respiration in animals?
Day 2
Materials (per student)
3- 5 drops Bromothymol blue pH indicator
30 mL Distilled water
1 Straw
50 mL beaker
Safety
Do not inhale the liquids through the straw.
Activity
In this investigation, you will test whether living organisms produce carbon dioxide. Bromothymol blue,
which is a pH indicator, will turn yellow in acidic conditions. The presence of carbon dioxide in water
produces carbonic acid.
Distribute lab equipment to each lab group.
To test the efficacy of bromothymol blue as a pH indicator:
 Add distilled water to beaker (approximately 30 mL)
 Add drops of bromothymol blue slowly until the water is a pale blue color
 Gently blow bubbles into the beaker using the straw. Blowing too hard will cause the solution to
splatter. Do NOT inhale the solution.
Ask: “What happened to the color of the water & bromothymol blue solution?”
Assessments
Create a Venn diagram to compare and contrast Alcoholic Fermentation and Aerobic Cellular
Respiration.
Debriefing
A short discussion should follow the activity. Again, the goal is to have the students express the “big
idea” of the lesson without simply repeating words and formulas. Students should understand the
reactants and products of cellular respiration.
Cellular Respiration
Glucose + Oxygen
Carbon Dioxide + Water
C6H12 O6 + 6 O2
6 CO2 + 6 H2O
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Discussion questions
1. What do human beings and yeast cells have in common?
2. Where does cellular respiration take place in human cells?
3. When does a human being produce more carbon dioxide than normal?
4. How did the data collected in the lab connect to the procedure you proposed based on the diagram?
5. How did the data we collected from the experiments affect our hypothesis? Was your hypothesis
supported by the experimental data or not?
6. What changes would you make to your hypothesis or to the experiments we conducted?
The increase in carbon dioxide will cause the pH to turn acidic and students will note a color change.
Many students will wrongly infer that the lungs produce carbon dioxide. Teachers should point out that
the exchange of gases in the lungs is not cellular respiration. Stress that the mitochondria, in each of
our cells, are responsible for converting food (in the presence of oxygen) into carbon dioxide and
releasing energy. This carbon dioxide is carried by the blood to the lungs. The lungs merely provide a
place for carbon dioxide to cross from the blood into the external environment. When students test air
exhaled from their lungs, they detect the presence of carbon dioxide that was produced in the
mitochondria.
Modifications and Accommodations
For students having difficulty with the concepts in this chapter, review the roles of mitochondria and
chloroplasts.
Resources
The following website may be helpful to students to connect photosynthesis and cellular respiration.
http://www.bbc.co.uk/schools/gcsebitesize/teachers/biology/photosynthesis_respiration.shtml
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