What are some good experiments for cell respiration and cell membranes?

[PopcornTime]

Can anyone list some experiments for cell respiration and cell membranes? For example, for cell membranes there is potato and osmosis, for cell respiration there is yeast and ph.

Thanks.

[kauac]

Can anyone list some experiments for cell respiration and cell membranes? For example, for cell membranes there is potato and osmosis, for cell respiration there is yeast and ph.

Thanks.

Hi...
I'm actually doing HSC biology instead of VCE, but we have done a few cell membrane experiments in class:

1. Agar gel is soaked in sodium hydroxide and phenolpthlaein and then cut into cubes/rectangular prisms of different SA:V ratios. They are then placed in hydrochloric acid until the smallest cube turns completely clear. Then if you take them all out and cut them in half, you can measure how far the reaction penetrated into the cube by the colour change. Thus - this models a cell's diffusion through the membrane, and why a large SA:V ratio is needed.

2. Kidney dialysis tubing is filled with starch solution and placed in a gas jar filled with iodine/potassium iodide solution. Observing for about 30 min, the starch solution will begin to blacken from the iodine/potassium iodide seeping through the tubing. This models osmosis, and how the cell membrane is semi permeable.

3. Large beaker filled with water and a straw placed in the middle. A potassium permanganate crystal is placed down the straw, and the straw is carefully moved. You can observe the purple colour of the potassium permanganate gradually diffusing into the water, so that eventually the whole water will be one solid colour. This models the process of diffusion of gases and nutrients in a cell - travelling areas of high concentration to low concentration.