Aerobic Respiration: Observing Oxygen Use in Maggots

We use maggots to let us observe aerobic respiration. The maggots are placed over sodium hydroxide in a specimen tube. A bung and delivery tube are attached to the specimen tube that feed into a boiling tube of coloured water. In the sealed system the water is sucked up the tube as the maggots use oxygen from the air to respire while the carbon dioxide they produce is absorbed by the sodium hydroxide. Biology - Cells And DNA - Learning Points. That aerobic respiration is required by organisms to release energy from their food. The difference between respiration and breathing. That sodium hydroxide absorbs carbon dioxide. That control experiments are important to allow valid conclusions to be made. A Twig Experiment Film. Let students experience real experiments in lab conditions anywhere, from setup, method all the way through to analysis and real-world application.