Topic 3.2: Cell Respiration Questions

In which part of a human cell does aerobic respiration take place?

Why do cells carry out respiration?

State the role of potassium hydroxide (KOH) in a respirometer.

What does the 'respiration rate' of an organism measure?

Why is ATP described as the cell's energy currency?

In which part of an ATP molecule is the readily usable energy stored?

A student investigates respiration by adding glucose solution to a suspension of yeast cells. State the function of the glucose in this experiment.

What single feature distinguishes aerobic respiration from anaerobic respiration?

State the product, and the location in the cell, of anaerobic respiration in human muscle cells.

State two cellular processes that are powered by converting ATP into ADP.

A person is exercising hard, so their leg muscle cells are respiring both aerobically and anaerobically at the same time. Describe what each type of respiration is producing in these cells, and where in the cell each set of products is being made.

During an intense sprint the oxygen supply to a runner's leg muscles cannot keep up with demand. How do the muscle cells respond?

Bioethanol fuel is produced when yeast respires without oxygen. Which products does this process form?

A respirometer holds living seeds together with KOH. Over ten minutes the coloured liquid in the tube moves towards the seeds. What does this movement show?

Draw a labelled diagram of the ATP–ADP cycle. Your diagram should show the conversion of ATP to ADP + Pi and back, and indicate at which step energy is released and at which step energy is supplied.

An exam asks for a feature of ATP that suits it to powering a fast cell process. Which feature is valid?

In a respirometer, the coloured liquid moves 18 mm towards the germinating seeds over 6 minutes. The tube has a cross-sectional area of 2 mm², so each 1 mm of movement corresponds to 2 mm³ of oxygen used. Calculate the rate of oxygen uptake in mm³ per minute.

Which of the following is a cellular process powered by converting ATP into ADP?

Draw a labelled diagram to show how cell respiration breaks glucose down to release energy that is used to regenerate ATP from ADP.

A student measures respiration rate by the oxygen taken up by germinating seeds. When the seeds are treated with cyanide, an inhibitor of aerobic respiration, the rate falls. Suggest how the respirometer readings would change after the cyanide treatment, and propose one other quantity the student could measure instead of oxygen.