USE+OF+ENERGY+&+METABOLISM+II




 * Experimental Exploration of Characteristics of Life Displayed by Unknowns A, B, and C**

Elissa Frank Olivia Oskwarek Jackie Beck Julie Metrione


 * Background information on our lab:** Background information on our lab: Scientists have yet to ‘engrave in bronze’ the definition of life. This is because it is a challenge to come up with an unequivocal definition that covers all life, all known species and which does not fall short to include life in places other than earth. However, defying all flaws, scientists have figured common characteristics of life. Life is said to be a characteristic of living things that exhibit all or most of the following eight characteristics.

Life is thus a set of characteristics and behaviors that come together as individuals to show its true beauty.
 * Homeostasis:** regulation of the internal environment to maintain a constant state.
 * Organization:** made of one or more cells, which are the basic units of life.
 * Metabolism:** living things require energy to maintain internal temperature and carry out functions associated with life.
 * Growth:** maintenance of a higher rate of anabolism (converting chemicals and energy from food etc. into living cells.) than catabolism (decomposition of organic matter into inorganic substance.)
 * Adaptation:** the property of biologically changing or adjusting, to the changes in the environment.
 * Response to stimuli:** The response depends of the organism and nature of stimulus. A pinch, sunlight, thunder, shock are stimuli.
 * Reproduction:** the characteristic of producing new individuals organisms.
 * Genetics:** the characteristic of passing a genetic code to offspring.


 * Our hypothesis:** If the unknown displays three characteristics of life, then it can be considered living.

**Problem:** ﻿What characteristic of living things is observed in this investigation? **Purpose:** ﻿ The purpose for the testing of "what characteristic of living things is observed in this investigation?" is to understand, in depth, if a living thing is characterized as living if only it visibly moves and breaths. "Life" has no definition in the English dictionary. Therefore, it is hoped that by this investigation, a new definition of the term "life" will be defined.


 * Control:** Test tube 1
 * Independent Variable:** Test tubes A, B, C
 * Dependent Variable:** The amount of CO2 released into the balloons.

1. Sugar 2. Warm water 3. 5 test tubes 4. Test tube rack 5. Unknown substance 6. Bromothymol Blue 7. 4 balloons 8. Glucose test strips
 * Materials:**

Our lab is modeled after the experiment of the Producing Carbon Dioxide Balloons Investigation.

1. Obtain four test tubes and label the following: ( do for each unknown) a. Test tube 1 (control) - H2O, and 1.25 g of sugar b. Test tube A- H2O, 1.25 g of sugar. c. Test tube B- H2O, 1.25 of sugar d. Test tube C – H2O, 1.25 g of sugar
 * Procedure**

2. Add to each test tube 1.25 g of sugar then add the following: (do for each unknown) a. Test tube 1- 25 ml of H2O and 1.25 b. Test tube A- 25 ml of H2O and 4.3 g of unknown A c. Test tube B- 25 ml of H2O and 4.3 of unknown B d. Test tube C- 25 ml of H2O and 4.3 of unknown C

3. Gently shake the contents of each test tube. Make sure none of the materials remains clumped a the bottom. 4. Dip a glucose test strip into each of the four test tubes and record in table below: 5. Slip a balloon over the month of each test tube. 6. Sometime during the day but at least 30 minutes after completing setup record your observations of the balloon and contents in the table below: 7. Write time of initial step _ 8. After 24 hours record your observations of the balloon and contents in the table below: 9. Fill a 5th test tube with Bromothymol blue. 10. Carefully remove the balloon that has inflated the most making sure not to release contents of balloon. 11. Slip balloon over mouth of test tube with Bromothymol blue. 12. Squeeze contents out of balloon in test tube. 13. Gently mix test tube and observe and record any colour changes. 14. Test the four test tubes with the glucose test strip and record.

Froth 4 || Inflation
 * Test tube || TT 1 || TT 2 || TT 3 || TT
 * initial || not frothy || not frothy || slightly frothy || frothy ||
 * 1362 minutes || not frothy || not frothy || slightly frothy || very frothy ||
 * 24 hour || not frothy || not frothy || Slightly frothy || extremely frothy ||


 * Test tube || TT 1 || TT 2 || TT 3 || TT 4 ||
 * initial || no inflation || no inflation || slight inflation || slightly inflated ||
 * 1362 minutes || no inflation || no inflation || slightly more inflated || inflated ||
 * 24 hours || no inflation || no inflation || slightly inflated || completely inflated ||

Brothomoyol Blue

Test tube 4 : turned bright yellow

Glucose presence:


 * Test Tube || TT 1 || TT 2 || TT 3 || TT 4 ||
 * initial || 1000 mg/dL || 1000 mg/dL || 1000 mg/dL || 1000 mg/dL ||
 * 24 hours || 1000 mg/dL || 1000 mg/dL || 1000 mg/dL || negative ||