Yeast Lab Design

Anna Roman, Laraib Awan, Mary Ward, Vivien Coombs

February 15, 2018
The Effect of Various Sugars in a Yeast Solution to Measure the Release of Carbon Dioxide (CO 2)

Part One:
 Background Information:
Yeast is a fungus which uses the process of cellular respiration to convert glucose and oxygen into ATP and
carbon dioxide. This is able to occur both aerobically and anaerobically depending on the situation. For example, when
you use yeast in bread-making, it starts off aerobically as there is oxygen present in helping the dough rise; however,
when the oxygen diminishes, it starts to respire anaerobically. Alcoholic fermentation is an anaerobic process which uses
yeast to produce ATP. NADH passes on electrons to a type of pyruvate in order to produce ethanol,
Essentially, all living things require require basic sugars to carry out respiration. Respiration creates energy for cells
to carry out important functions. For example, fungi cannot photosynthesize (make sugars using energy from sunlight).
Instead, they consume other organisms to get sugar for respiration. Whether eaten or created through photosynthesis,
these sugars are broken down and turned into energy for cells. In the process, they produce waste products, including
carbon dioxide gas, which cells discard. Below, we will take a closer look at photosynthesis and respiration to become
familiar with these processes.
Photosynthesis:
6 CO2 + 6 H2O → C6H12O6 + 6 O2
6 Carbon Dioxide + 6 Water → Glucose (sugar) + 6 Oxygen

Respiration with Oxygen (Aerobic):

C6H12O6 + 6 O2 → 6 CO2 + 6 H2O + energy for cell
Glucose (sugar) + 6 Oxygen → 6 Carbon Dioxide + 6 Water + Energy for Cell
Materials:
↣ Four balloons
↣ Four 250 mL erlenmeyer flasks
↣ Four yeast packets
↣ 400 mL of warm water
↣ 10 mL of brown sugar
↣ 10 mL honey
↣ 10 mL vinegar
↣ Spoon/scoop of some sort
↣ Glass stirrers
 ↣ String/thread
↣ Ruler

Procedure/methods:
1. Label the four flasks water, brown sugar, honey, and vinegar and stretch the balloons out a few times.
2. Fill the four different flasks with 100 mL of warm water in each.
3. Pour one yeast packet into each of the flasks and stir until the combination is fully mixed. Let it sit for two minutes.
4. When 2 minutes have passed, pour 10 mL of the different substances in different flasks, brown sugar, honey,
vinegar, into the corresponding flasks. (The fourth flask will serve as a control of only water and yeast.)
5. Quickly stretch the balloons around the top of each flask and wait for a total of 20 minutes. This is not time for
observation.
6. After 20 minutes, reset your timer.
7. Measure your balloons’ circumference in centimeters around the largest part of the balloon at 2 minute intervals for
10 minutes and record your results in the table. Wrap the string around the largest part of the balloon and use your
fingers to mark the distance around the balloon and then hold it up next to the ruler to see the length.

Data table:

Solute 2 minutes 4 minutes 6 minutes 8 minutes 10 minutes

Brown Sugar

Honey

Vinegar
Just Water

Summary:
In your summary you should explain the data you found and why the different sugar solutions had their effect on
the rate of cellular respiration. Did the pH of the solutions have anything to do with the change in rate?

Part Two:

Data Table:

Solute 2 minutes 4 minutes 6 minutes 8 minutes 10 minutes

Brown Sugar 24cm 26cm 26cm 28cm 29cm

Honey 26cm 28cm 28cm 28cm 30cm

Vinegar 8.5cm 9cm 9cm 11cm 12.5cm

Just Water 10cm 12cm 12cm 13cm 14cm

Data Analysis:
Based on the data we collected we were able to determine that the honey stimulated the yeast the most and
caused the balloon to grow the fastest and the most. Brown sugar was more consistent with its growth and grew the
second largest. The vinegar grew the least even when compared to the water which means the vinegar did the opposite of
stimulating and hindered the amount of carbon dioxide released.

Summary:
This experiment is able to show the process of cellular respiration. This experiment exhibits the effects sugar has
on the amount of carbon dioxide is produced by the process of cellular respiration. The amount of carbon dioxide which
was produced was measured by trapping the gas in a balloon and measuring the circumference of the balloon which has
been inflated by the carbon dioxide. This had occurred due to the yeast reacting with the H 2O and sugar molecules,
producing carbon dioxide and ATP. The substances brown sugar, honey, and vinegar were added to the yeast and water
solution. The yeast and water solution alone served as a control. It was revealed that the balloons which were filled with
more carbon dioxide were affected by the substances which contained higher concentrations of sugar such as brown
sugar and honey. Vinegar had less growth than the control (yeast+water) and exhibited the least amount of growth which
may have been due to the difference in pH levels as it is more acidic.

(Before balloons are attached to flask) (After 20 minutes of allowing yeast to set) (Final results: 10 minutes)