An experiment to measure the rate of respiration in crickets and mice at 10 °C and 25 °C was performed using a respirometer, an apparatus that measures changes in gas volume. Respiration was measured in mL of O2 consumed per gram of organism over several five-minute trials and the following data were obtained.

Respiration per mass of organism
Organism Temperature (°C) Average respiration (mL O2/g min)
Mouse 10 0.0518
Mouse 20 0.0321
Cricket 10 0.0013
Cricket 25 0.0038

According to the data, the mice at 10 °C demonstrated greater oxygen consumption per gram of tissue than did the mice at 25 °C. This is most likely explained by which of the following statements?

Question

An experiment to measure the rate of respiration in crickets and mice at 10 °C and 25 °C was performed using a respirometer, an apparatus that measures changes in gas volume. Respiration was measured in mL of O2 consumed per gram of organism over several five-minute trials and the following data were obtained.

Respiration per mass of organism
Organism	Temperature (°C)	Average respiration (mL O2/g min)
Mouse	10	0.0518
Mouse	20	0.0321
Cricket	10	0.0013
Cricket	25	0.0038

According to the data, the mice at 10 °C demonstrated greater oxygen consumption per gram of tissue than did the mice at 25 °C. This is most likely explained by which of the following statements?

BlackTom AI · Accepted Answer

Higher O2 consumption per gram indicates a higher rate of aerobic cellular respiration and therefore a higher rate of ATP production. Aerobic respiration uses O2 as the terminal electron acceptor in oxidative phosphorylation, so oxygen uptake is tightly linked to the rate of ATP synthesis.

1) Relevant knowledge points and concepts
- Aerobic respiration: O2 consumption → electron transport chain → oxidative phosphorylation → ATP production.
- Metabolic rate and thermoregulation: Endotherms (like mice) increase metabolic heat production at low ambient temperatures, raising cellular respiration to maintain body temperature.
- Rates given are normalized per gram, so mass differences are already controlled for.

2) Step-by-step reasoning
- Compare the two mouse values: at 10 °C the average respiration is 0.0518 mL O2/g·min; at 25 °C it is 0.0321 mL O2/g·min.
- Compute the relative increase: 0.0518 / 0.0321 ≈ 1.614, so mice at 10 °C consume about 1.6 times more O2 per gram than at 25 °C.
- Because increased O2 consumption reflects higher flux through oxidative phosphorylation, the 10 °C mice must be producing ATP at a higher rate to meet elevated energetic demands (mostly for heat production).

3) Intermediate calculations
- Ratio = 0.0518 ÷ 0.0321 = 1.614 ≈ 1.61× higher O2 consumption at 10 °C.

4) Why the correct answer is correct
- The increased O2 consumption at 10 °C indicates a higher rate of aerobic metabolism and thus higher ATP turnover; this is expected as mice are endotherms that raise metabolic heat production in the cold.

5) Why the other options are incorrect
- “Mice at 25 °C weighed less”: rates are expressed per gram, so absolute weight is irrelevant to the reported per-mass rates.
- “Mice at 25 °C were more active”: greater activity would increase O2 consumption at 25 °C, but the data show the opposite.
- “Mice at 10 °C had a lower metabolic rate”: higher O2 consumption demonstrates a higher, not lower, metabolic rate.

Conclusion: The data show mice at 10 °C consumed more O2 per gram (≈1.6×), which corresponds to a higher rate of ATP production; this matches the provided correct answer.

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