Professor Robinson Found That Students Who Sit in the Front

question 130

Essay

Professor Robinson found that students who sit in the front row of his class receive better grades than students who sit in the back row of his class. Before he jumps to the conclusion that students in the front are smarter than those who sit in the back, he remembers that correlation does not equal causation. What are some extraneous variables that may explain the observed relationship between where a student sits and his/her class performance?

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Definitions:

Oxidative Phosphorylation

The production of ATP using energy derived from the transfer of electrons in the electron transport system of mitochondria; occurs by chemiosmosis.

Electron Transport Chain

A series of protein complexes and small organic molecules within cell membranes that transfer electrons, driving the synthesis of ATP.

ATP Synthesis

The process of creating adenosine triphosphate (ATP), the cellular energy currency, primarily through cellular respiration in mitochondria or photosynthesis in chloroplasts.

Anaerobic Respiration

A form of respiration where energy is produced in the absence of oxygen, utilizing other electron acceptors and producing different end products.