PRACTICAL Name:

42 Decomposition of cellulose by bacteria

You need:
■ tubes/containers of sterile salt ■ spatula ■ distilled water
solution and filter paper ■ soil sample ■ metal foil
■ 10 cm3 measuring cylinders ■ marking pen
■ 100 cm3 measuring cylinder ■ ruler

Paper is made from crushed and pulped wood – the plant cells have
walls made up of cellulose.

Method
1 Label the tubes A, B and C.
2 Put a 1 cm depth of soil in the 10 cm3 cylinder. Add water to Foil
make the volume up to 10 cm3. Shake the mixture.
3 Add 10 drops of this soil/water mixture to tube A. Try not to drip
the mixture onto the filter paper in the tube. Seal with foil.
Filter paper
4 Put a 1 cm depth of soil in the second 10 cm3 measuring cylinder.
Transfer the soil to the 100 cm3 cylinder. Add water to make the
volume up to 100 cm3. Shake the mixture.
5 Using a clean dropper, add 10 drops of this soil/water mixture to Salt solution
tube B. Seal with foil.
6 Using a clean dropper, add 10 drops of distilled water to tube C.
Seal with foil.
7 Keep the test-tubes in a warm place for 14 days.
8 After 14 days, record the appearance of the filter paper near the
air/water junction.
9 Shake the tubes. Record what happens to the filter paper.
Tube Soil added Appearance of filter paper What happened on shaking
A 1
__
10
B 1
___
100
C none

Questions
a If the filter paper falls apart on shaking, what does this show?
b What was the purpose of tube C?
c What is the importance of cellulose decomposition in the recycling of natural materials?

Extension Humans build many wooden structures. How can

A yellow or orange stain on the filter paper
indicates that cellulose has been digested. Which
enzymes would be needed to decompose cellulose?
How could you test that the cellulose had been
broken down to its subunits?
we prevent this decomposition from damaging our
buildings?
Animals cannot make cellulose-digesting enzymes.
Find out how cattle and termites are able to digest
cellulose.

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