Luna Perilla

8 December
9th Grade 2022
Unit 2: Cell Biology, Life Processes and Energy Flow

Photosynthesis and Cellular respiration Lab Report

(CO2 and O2 Gas Sensor)

Introduction:
Photosynthesis is a process carried out by plants, bacteria, and algae. They capture
energy from the sunlight and produce oxygen and chemical energy stored in glucose. In
photosynthesis’ process plants take carbon dioxide and water from the air and soil. Into the
plant cell, water is oxidized where it loses electrons while the carbon dioxide is reduced
where it gains electrons.
Cellular respiration is a metabolic pathway used by organisms to create ATP energy
to support many other reactions in the body. “Glucose may be oxidized completely if
sufficient oxygen is available by the following equation:” (“Biology Lab Sensors &
Experiments | Bring Lessons to Life | Vernier”)
C6H12O6 + 6 O2 = 6H2O + 6 CO2 + Energy

The lab’s objective is to use Gas Sensors to measure the amount of oxygen and
carbon dioxide consumed by a plant while doing respiration and photosynthesis. As a
specific objective, get data evidence about rate of respiration and photosynthesis of a plant.
If the spinach is measured for photosynthesis and cellular respiration and is put into
light and dark conditions, then more photosynthesis will occur when the spinach is in the
light because light is reactant for photosynthesis.

Materials and Methods:

• Spinach leaves
• Goggles
• Bio Chamber
• Aluminum foil
• 600 mL beaker
• CO2 Gas sensor

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 • O2 Gas sensor
• Logger Pro
• Vernier computer interface
• Computer

Wrap the bio chamber and cover the lid with foil poking the holes open to place the
sensors with aluminum so that no light can get to the spinach leaves. Then cover the
bottom of the chamber with a one-centimeter layer of spinach leaves.
Prepare the computer to start collecting data and open the file “31C Photo (CO2 and
O2)”. Before beginning the experiment make sure that the CO2 Gas sensor is settled in the
Low (0-10,000 ppm) setting and then connect the CO2 Gas sensor and the O2 Gas sensor
to the Vernier computer interface. Insert the sensors into the chamber’s holes after closing
the bio chamber, wait five minutes to let the sensors equilibrate and then click the
<<collect>> button to start the 15-minute data collection.
After completing the data collection determine the rate of respiration/photosynthesis
by autoscaling the data clicking <<Autoscale>> on the toolbar. Move the cursor to where
the data values begin increasing, select the region of increasing CO2 Gas concentration.
Perform a linear regression by clicking on <<Linear Fit>> button, record the slope of
the line “m” as the rate of respiration/photosynthesis in Table 1. Close the linear regression
box and then repeat this process for the O2 graph by selecting the region decreasing O2
concentration.
The second trial of this experiment is going to be lightened. Take off the aluminum
foil and prepare a heat sink by filling a 600 mL beaker with water. Set a lamp and the heat
sink in front of the chamber and start data collection.

Results:
Table 1
Leaves Rate of Rate of
respiration/photosynthesis respiration/photosynthesis
(ppt/min) (ppt/min)
In the dark 0.9277 -2.453E - O5

In the light

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CO2 Level in darkness:

O2 Level in darkness:

CO2 Level with light:

O2 Level with light:

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Discussion and Analysis:

In the data collection in the dark trial, a low amount of carbon dioxide was given (0.9277). This means
that cells were creating new carbohydrates for photosynthesis process.

In the data collection during the lightened trial, the O2 gas sensors gave a negative number (-2.453E -
O5) which indicates that the oxygen atom got two new electrons from each hydrogen atom in the
chemical bonding process. This combination of atoms creates a molecule that is bound together by an
electron sharing process under the influence of the O2 atom usually.

Some factors that can change the rate of oxygen production/consumption in leaves are:

Kind of land where they grow and its environmental conditions; If this experiment is realized in a
recreation of a foggy environment (with the same spinach leaf) there is a great chance of change in the
CO2 and O2 data collection because of how the leaf is going to adapt itself to keep doing their cycle.

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Reference List:

Cellular respiration: What is it, its purpose, and more | osmosis. (n.d.). Retrieved January 4, 2023, from
https://www.osmosis.org/answers/cellular-respiration

Libretexts. (2021, September 4). 5.9: Cellular respiration. Biology LibreTexts. Retrieved January 4, 2023,
from
https://bio.libretexts.org/Bookshelves/Human_Biology/Book%3A_Human_Biology_(Wakim_and_
Grewal)/05%3A_Cells/5.09%3A_Cellular_Respiration

National Geographic Society Writers. (2022, July 15). Photosynthesis. National Geographic Society.
Retrieved January 4, 2023, from
https://education.nationalgeographic.org/resource/photosynthesis

Redox Chemistry Primer. Untitled document. (n.d.). Retrieved January 4, 2023, from
https://www.kgs.ku.edu/Hydro/GWtutor/Plume_Busters/remediate_refs/redox_chemistry.htm#:
~:text=A%20negative%20number%20indicates%20that,atom%20most%20of%20the%20time.