BIO 140 - Cellular Respiration Case Study PDF

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Sarah Girard Cellular Respiration Case Study 21 April 2020 PART I: 1. Are there any similarities or connections between these seven individuals? What questions would you want to ask the families to answer these questions? a. All patients share similar symptoms, such as dizziness, confusion, headache, shortness of breath, and vomiting. Also, each patient fainted or collapsed before passing away. Not only that, but they all took Tylenol to subside their symptoms. Every patient was from the same neighborhood as well. I would ask the families if they noticed anything unusual about their home atmosphere, such as a unique smell. I would also ask if the patients had come in contact with each other. 2. In your opinion, are these seven deaths connected? Why or why not? a. Based on the evidence, I feel that these seven deaths are connected because every patient was from the same neighborhood and was experiencing the same exact symptoms. PART II: 1. Recalling your knowledge of the function of organelles, what function of the cells interrupted in these patients? Could this loss of function lead to the death of these individuals? Why or why not? a. The mitochondria were extremely damaged, causing a failure of taking in oxygen which is used to produce ATP. ATP is required to carry out cellular respiration throughout the body, ensuring one’s body receives adequate oxygen. Because of the mitochondria’s death, the body slowly shut down due to lack of oxygen. 2. Given the data in the autopsy, were there any reports that seemed inconsistent with the immediate cause of death? a. It is alarming because the patients were diagnosed with hypoxia; however, the they all had high oxygen levels. I believe this occurred because the mitochondria’s damage did not allow it use excess oxygen, which is why there were high oxygen levels. PART III: 1. For each metabolite listed in the table, describe its role in cellular respiration? Are they substrates or products? What is their main function? a. Glucose is a substrate in glycolysis. Its function is to produce two ATP and two pyruvates. b. Pyruvate begins as a product, but ends as a substrate in the Citric Acid cycle, which is both aerobic and anaerobic. Its function is to produce two ATP and lactic acid. c. Through using oxygen, it travels further to the ETP where it produces 34 ATP. 2. Are there any abnormalities in the levels of these metabolites in the victims? Develop a hypothesis about which pathway may be affected based on these abnormalities. a. Due to the lack of ATP production occurring by the mitochondria, NADH and FAD2 will not be able to change into NAD+, leaving the cells filled with excess

NADH. Because NAD+ is a major component of the electron transport chain, there will be a lack of production of ATP. 3. Explain your reasoning for your hypothesis. a. The excess NADH creates a shortage of NAD+, which is necessary in the electron transport chain. Due to the lack of NAD+, there will be an energy shortage. PART IV: 1. What affect would cyanide have on the electron transport chain and the production of ATP? Explain your answer. a. Cyanide prevents NADH and FAD2 from forming NAD+. NAD+ is necessary in the electron transport chain to produce 34 ATP; therefore, cyanide will cause an energy shortage. 2. Given what you now know about the action of cyanide on cellular respiration, explain why the patients died of lack of oxygen while their blood oxygen levels were normal? a. The cells were unable to utilize the blood oxygen as energy. Because of this, the electron transport chain could not function, causing the cells to die due to lack of energy. 3. Would artificial respiration or oxygenation have saved these people? Why or why not? a. Artificial respiration or oxygenation would not have helped because it would not directly help the mitochondria. Instead, it would increase the oxygen levels throughout the body, which was not necessary considering the excess levels. 4. Looking back at the information you have about the people before they got sick, can you suggest a possible source of the cyanide poisoning? How should public health officials and police respond to this tragedy? a. The cyanide poisoning may have occurred when the patients consumed Tylenol. If the Tylenol was contaminated with cyanide, it could have further led to their poisoning, Public health officials should recall the brand of Tylenol these patients consumed and reevaluate if the medication was contaminated....