AEROBIC CELLULAR
RESPIRATION TEST OF SEA-CROP
March , 2005
THE TEST:
Cellular respiration of germinating seeds involves the oxidation of
glucose according to the following reaction:
C6H12O6+6O2 ----> 6CO2 + 6H2O+energy.
Germinating corn was placed in a sealed respirometer. A 15% KOH
solution was placed in a separate compartment of the respirometer
to absorb off-gassed CO2 and a water column connected to the
respirometer was used to measure O2 consumption against time.
THE APPARATUS:
A stoppered 500ml vacuum flask was used for the respirometer
vessel. PVC tubing was attached to the venting tubeulation and
into the open end of the tubing a graduated pipette was placed to
contain a water column.
THE METHOD:
For each test 40 grains of corn were soaked in water for 24 hours.
After draining, the corn was put into a large test tube that was placed
into the respirometer. The untreated control was soaked in water only
and the treated test was soaked in a 10% solution of Sea-Crop. In the
bottom of the respirometer 150 ml of 15% KOH solution was added to
absorb CO2 created by the germinating corn according to the following
reaction: CO2+2KOH ----> K2CO3+H2O. The flask was
then stoppered and the PVC tubing was partially filled with water to
make a seal and bring the water level to the top of the graduated
pipette.
After 24 hours the water column was measured in the graduated pipette
to see how much it had fallen. This measurement was used to indicate
the oxygen consumption of the Sea-Crop
treated seeds relative to the
untreated control.
The control water level had fallen by 8.5 ml and the treated water
level had fallen by 18.5 ml. This indicated that oxygen had been
consumed by the Sea-Crop
treated sample at a rate 118% greater than by
the control.
CONCLUSIONS:
1. Increased cellular respiration in the treated sample consumed more
O2 than the control during the first 24 hours of germination.
2.Aerobic cellular respiration is very significantly enhanced by
treatment with Sea-Crop.
