Naked Science Forum

General Science => General Science => Topic started by: skittles03 on 16/10/2004 18:52:35

Title: do boiled peas respire?
Post by: skittles03 on 16/10/2004 18:52:35

During cellular respiration, do boiled peas consume oxygen?

Title: Re: do boiled peas respire?
Post by: Ylide on 17/10/2004 13:32:18

er?  Usually when something living is boiled, its proteins denature and it dies.  So I'd say no, boiled peas do not have any cellular processes of any sort.

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Title: Re: do boiled peas respire?
Post by: chris on 18/10/2004 08:57:51

I'm with Jason on this one.

Boiled peas won't grow - evidence that they have been killed by the boiling process. The high temperature irreversibly destroys crucial proteins in the plant cells, including structural proteins, so the cells fall apart (that's why the water goes green when you boil them) and cease respiration.

That said, your boiled peas might quickly become colonised by bacteria and fungi which will move in to consume the readily available sugars released by the boiling process. These opportunists will definitely be respiring, and could account for apparent oxygen consumption by previously boiled peas !

Chris

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