Measurements of respiration and oxygen tension in plant organs allow a precise understanding of mitochondrial capacity and function within the context of cellular oxygen metabolism. Here we describe methods that can be routinely used for the isolation of intact mitochondria, and the determination of respiratory electron transport, together with techniques for in vivo determination of oxygen tension and measurement of respiration by both CO2 production and O2 consumption that enables calculation of the respiratory quotient [CO2]/[O2].
Keywords: Gradient centrifugation; In vitro; In vivo; Mitochondria; Oxidative phosphorylation; Oxygen tension; Respiration; Respiratory control ratio (RCR); Respiratory quotient (RQ).