Lab 6: ProtocolYour task in Unit 2 is to explore the factors that may affect metabolic rate (cellular respiration and photosynthesis). In the first lab (Lab 6) you will be designing two research experiments to help answer this question. You will be choosing which experiment (respiration in Lab 7 or photosynthesis in Lab 8) to include in your scientific poster at the end of Unit 2.
Exercise I. Group Work Decision Exercise II. Proposal for Lab 7 Exercise III. Proposal for Lab 8 |
Big Picture! In this experiment you will be provided various crayfish to chose from. You will immerse them in a beaker of water so they may "respire." You get to decide to decide if you want to study temperature or glucose concentration.
Your primary task in Exercise II is to complete your research proposal for the respiration experiment to be performed in Lab 7.
Procedure
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Section 1- Ask a Question: Begin by identifying your primary research question. This was decided on by the class! Remember, research questions can arise from observations in the field, in the lab, or from the scientific literature (e.g., scientific posters, presentations or papers).
Section 2- Research: You cannot create a "good" hypothesis without a potential rationale. You can only ascertain potential reasons "why" through research. You can include any relevant references you found in part 1 of Lab 6 in this section. You can also use the research library if you need more.
Section 3: A quality hypothesis must be objective, measurable and testable. It must also include a prediction and potential rationale (examples). Think about how your specific hypothesis and predictions connect with the larger body of research of crayfish and cellular respiration.
REMEMBER! You get to test your own hypothesis! Section 4: Experiments are designed to test the prediction accompanying your hypothesis. Your experimental design should identify your variables and their type based on your hypothesis. Experiments should be both valid and reliable. You have many decisions regarding the design of your experiment, but the general method is set and explained in detail in the Pre-Lab for Lab 7. Those details are not required in your research proposal.
How will we measure the rate of cellular respiration? ...By measuring the CO2 produced as a bi-product of the metabolic process! We will discuss this method more in Lab 7, but for now you just need to understand we will measure the rate of CO2 produced as an indication of the rate of cellular metabolism. |
Big Picture! In this experiment you will be provided a solution of active chloroplasts. You will subject those chloroplast to different environments, based on your research question, and measure the rate at which they perform photosynthesis.
Your primary task in Exercise III is to complete your research proposal for the photosynthesis experiment in Lab 8.
Procedure
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Section 1: Ask a Question: Begin by identifying your primary research question. This was decided on by the class! Remember, research questions can arise from observations in the field, in the lab, or from the scientific literature (e.g., scientific posters, presentations or papers).
Section 2: Research: You cannot create a "good" hypothesis without a potential rationale. You can only ascertain potential reasons "why" through research. You can include any relevant references you found in part 1 of Lab 6 in this section. You can also use the research library if you need more.
Section 3: Section 3: A quality hypothesis must be objective, measurable and testable. It must also include a prediction and potential rationale (examples). Think about how your specific hypothesis and predictions connect with the larger body of research on photosynthesis and light.
REMEMBER! You get to design your own hypothesis! Section 4: Experiments are designed to test the prediction accompanying your hypothesis. Your experimental design should identify your variables and their type based on your hypothesis. Experiments should be both valid and reliable. You have many decisions regarding the design of your experiment, but the general method is set and will be explained in detail in the Pre-Lab for Lab 8. Those details are not required in your research proposal.
How will we measure the rate of photosynthesis? ...By measuring the NADPH produced by chloroplasts in the light reactions! We will discuss this method more in Lab 8, but for now you just need to understand we will measure the rate of NADPH produced as an indication of the rate of light reactions, an therefore photosynthesis. |