Breathing Cells
Students use a simple pH indicator to measure how much CO2 is produced during respiration, at rest and after exercising. They begin by comparing some common household solutions in order to determine the color change of the indicator. They review the concepts of pH and respiration and extend their knowledge to measuring the effectiveness of bioremediation in the environment.
Students investigate cellular respirationCopyright Center for Disease Control and Prevention http://www.cdc.gov/nccdphp/dnpa/5aday/images/cabbage_03.jpg
When toxic materials are spilled into the environment, engineers can use microorganisms, fungi or plants to clean up the spill through a process called bioremediation. The engineers choose an organism that can "eat" the target contamination. One way that engineers can tell if the bioremediation is working is by measuring how much the bacteria are "breathing." Engineers measure how much organisms are breathing by changes in pH of the soil or water in which they are growing. Measuring the results of cell activity is usually easier than trying to keep track of the actual amount of toxic material in the environment.
After this activity, students should be able to:
- Describe the effects of cellular respiration on pH.
- Explain how engineers use pH to measure cellular respiration in bioremediation of contaminated soils.