Part 1

Predict what will happen in the following experiment based on what you know about photosynthesis and cellular respiration.

You place a plant alone in a covered airtight container in the presence of sunlight. Assume a watering system is provided. What will happen to the plant (will it live or die), and why?

You place a mouse alone in a covered airtight container with food and a source of water. What will happen to the mouse, and why?

You place a plant and a mouse together in a covered airtight container with food, water, and sunlight. What will happen to the plant and the mouse, and why?

A genetic mutation results in cells containing mitochondria with unfolded cristae. What generalizations can you make about this persons metabolism?

Part 2

According to the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention (CDC), obesity in the U.S. population increased from about 12% in 1991 to about 34% in 2006. The highest increase occurred in 18- to 29-year-olds.

Although part of the reason is our increasingly sedentary lifestyle, the principal cause is our overconsumption of abundant processed food products, many of which are high in fat and sugar content. Why do you think fat tastes good to so many people, and is difficult to resist?

Consider the fact that our appetites and digestive systems evolved over time under very different circumstances. Are there advantages to our tendency to eat too much that would have been selected for in the course of human evolution?

How can we, as a society, deal with the problem?