A researcher is studying the rate of chemical reactions within living blood cells. When placing the cells into a petri dish with a pH of 2.5, the researcher should predict that the rate of the reactions will
A. increase immediately.
B. decrease immediately.
C. remain the same.
D. increase immediately, then decrease gradually.
I think B
I agree B,
It's D.
To predict the rate of chemical reactions within living blood cells when placing them into a petri dish with a pH of 2.5, we need to consider the effect of pH on enzymatic activity. Enzymes play a crucial role in catalyzing chemical reactions within cells and are sensitive to changes in pH.
Typically, enzyme activity is affected by the pH of the environment. Most enzymes have an optimal pH range at which they function most efficiently. Deviations from this optimal pH can lead to decreased enzymatic activity.
In this case, the pH of the petri dish is 2.5, which is highly acidic. Blood cells usually operate within a narrow pH range, around 7.35-7.45, which is slightly basic. Therefore, placing blood cells in a highly acidic environment is likely to disrupt their normal functioning.
Considering the decrease in enzymatic activity due to the extreme acidic pH, the rate of chemical reactions within the blood cells is expected to decrease immediately.
Hence, your answer of B. decrease immediately, is correct.