preview

What Affects The Rate Of Respiration In Yeast

Decent Essays
Open Document

Background research

All living organisms need to respire in order to stay alive. The process of respiration converts oxygen and glucose into energy that is required to carry out the cellular biochemical reaction required to sustain life.

Respiration: 6O2 + C6H12O6 → energy + 6CO2 + 6H2O

Oxygen is one of the reactants necessary for respiration therefore it is essential for all living organisms. Oxygen is produced through the process of photosynthesis where energy from the sun is converted into chemical energy in the form of glucose.

Photosynthesis: 6CO2 + 6H2O + sunlight → C6H12O6 + 6O2

All plants photosynthesize to produce glucose, which is stored chemical energy as the plants food can be converted into energy through respiration for life processes. The rate of photosynthesis has three main limiting factors – carbon dioxide concentration, light intensity …show more content…

One example is aquatic life. Animals use up dissolved oxygen to carry out respiration for cellular processes and bacteria use up oxygen to decompose and break down organic wastes removing oxygen from the water to breathe. Therefore dissolved oxygen levels are lower when a body of water contains a lot of decomposing material. Plants also affect dissolved oxygen content as they release oxygen as a bi product of photosynthesis.

Temperature also affects oxygen content. Warmer water contains less dissolved oxygen than colder water and therefore oxygen concentration will change throughout the year as the weather and temperature changes. Another factor affecting oxygen concentration in the turbulence or movement of a body of water. In a fast moving body of water where the water is constantly moving, bubbles aerate the water and the dissolved oxygen content is often higher than a still body of water. Dissolved oxygen concentration is also affected by altitude. At higher altitudes oxygen is not dissolved as easily due to the higher

Get Access