© SSER Ltd.
The Respiratory Quotient or RQ value is a measure of the ratio of carbon dioxide
produced and oxygen consumed by an organism per unit time
The respiratory quotient is a ratio and therefore has NO UNITS
volume of carbon dioxide produced
RQ = per unit time
volume of oxygen consumed
The respiratory quotient is a valuable measurement as it provides us with
information regarding the nature of the substrate being used by an organism
for respiration
The simplified equation for the aerobic respiration of glucose is:
C6H1206 + 6O2 = 6CO2 + 6H2O
In this reaction, SIX CARBON DIOXIDE MOLECULES are produced and
SIX OXYGEN MOLECULES are consumed
The RQ for this reaction is 6 CO2/6 O2 = 1
The RQ value varies with the nature of the substrate being used for respiration
The following equation represents the complete oxidation of the fatty acid,
OLEIC ACID, when used as the substrate for respiration
The simplified equation for the aerobic respiration of oleic acid is:
2C18H3402 + 51 O2 = 36 CO2 + 34 H2O
In this reaction, THIRTY SIX CARBON DIOXIDE MOLECULES are produced
and FIFTY ONE OXYGEN MOLECULES are consumed
The RQ for this reaction is 36 CO2/51 O2 = 0.7
The following table shows the RQ values for different classes of
respiratory substrate when they are used for aerobic respiration
Respiratory Substrate RQ Value
glucose 1.0
fatty acid 0.7
protein 0.9
If any degree of anaerobic respiration occurs RQ values
significantly above a value of 1.0 are obtained
The RESPIROMETER is a piece of apparatus that can be
used for measuring rates of respiration and RQ values
for small organisms such as woodlice and germinating seeds
The apparatus consists essentially of two boiling tubes
connected by a manometer (capillary U-tube)
Experimental Control
tube containing tube containing
the organisms an equal volume
to be studied of glass beads
Manometer U-tube
containing
coloured liquid
A 1 cm3 syringe
Equal volumes of potassium hydroxide (KOH) or is inserted into the
SODA LIME are placed into each of the boiling tubes control tube and
is used to force
The function of the KOH or the SODA LIME is to absorb air through the
CARBON DIOXIDE GAS apparatus before
the experiment
and to equalise
The animal or The screw clip, when closed, prevents the manometer
plant material in atmospheric air from entering the apparatus levels between
the experimental experiments
tube is protected
from the KOH or
SODA LIME by a
barrier consisting
of a zinc-gauze The scale
platform attached to the
manometer
allows changes
in the levels of
the manometer
fluid to be
measured
gauze platform
KOH solution KOH solution
The principle behind the functioning of the apparatus is the
changes in AIR PRESSURE within the tubes during
the course of the experiment
As the organisms in the experimental tube respire, they remove
oxygen molecules from the tube and release carbon dioxide
molecules into the tube
The released The total number
carbon dioxide is of gas molecules
absorbed by the in the experimental
KOH solution tube will therefore
O2 be reduced
CO2
The air pressure
in the experimental
tube therefore
decreases and the
manometer fluid
will be pushed
upwards in the
left-hand side
of the U-tube
The manometer fluid is pushed towards the
experimental tube
The distance moved by the fluid can
be measured form the scale
distance
moved by
the fluid
The volume of oxygen used by the organisms can now be
calculated using the following formula:
pr2h
where
p = 3.142 (a constant)
r = internal radius of manometer
capillary tube (mm)
h = distance moved by the
manometer fluid (mm)
Throughout the The control tube
procedure has two functions
the boiling tubes It negates any
are immersed effects that
in a water bath, distance temperature
changes may have
usually moved by on the pressure
maintained the fluid of the air in the
at 20°C, to system
minimise any It enables us
temperature to demonstrate
fluctuations that that any changes
may occur in the manometer
during the tube are due to
course of the living processes
experiment
The effect of temperature on the rate of respiration can be
investigated by changing the temperature of the water bath
A temperature range of 10°C to 40°C is suitable for this investigation
As the temperature of the water bath is changed for each rate
measurement, it is important to allow a period of around 10 minutes
to elapse before timing the experiment
This ten minute time period is necessary to allow for equilibration, i.e.
to enable gas pressures in the apparatus to adjust and to allow
the organisms to be fully adjusted to the new temperature
The results of temperature experiments can be used to calculate
a Q10 value for respiration where:
Rate of respiration at t + 10ºC
Q10 = Rate of respiration at toC
