Question

Biology Help Please.

1) Do BOTH germinating beans and earthworms carry out aerobic cellular respiration?

2) How can you confirm it is aerobic respiration, and not fermentation.

3) Which organism (germinating beans or worms) is more metabolically active? Explain how you determine.

4) Would plants every carry out anaerobic fermentation? Explain your reasoning.

Thanks.

Answer 1

1)

• Both animals (like earthworm) and plants (including germinating seeds) perform aerobic respiration.

2)

• During aerobic form of respiration, oxygen is used while in fermentation oxygen is not used.
• An instrument called respirometer may be used to detect weather aerobic respiration or fermentation is occurring.
• Respirometer measures the amount of oxygen consumed. Thus, if aerobic respiration is being conducted, oxygen will be consumed. While no oxygen will be consumed for fermentation process, which is anaerobic.

3)

• After coming out of dormancy, cells start germinating and growth.
• Germinating seeds require more energy (or ATP).
• Thus, germinating seeds are more metabolically active.
• This may be also measured using respirometer.
• Respirometer contains KOH, which absorbs the carbon dioxide produced during respiration.
• Thus, the change in volume of oxygen may be measured as initial volume and final volume and noting the difference in oxygen consumption by germinating seeds and earthworm.
• It will be observed that germinating seeds absorb more oxygen, thus proving they are more metabolically active.

4)

The plant shifts from aerobic respiration to anaerobic respiration. If the energy requirement remains the same, this indicates that the cell must generate the same ATP flow from anaerobic respiration as it produced from aerobic mode of respiration.

Under anoxic condition, by partial oxidation of glucose, plants may carry out anaerobic fermentation and produce alcohol.