Using a Respirometer to Calculate RQ
Respirometers are used to measure and investigate the rate of oxygen
consumption during respiration in organisms
They can also be used to calculate respiratory quotients
The experiments usually involve organisms such as seeds or invertebrates
Apparatus
Respirometer
Glass beads
Germinating seeds
o These will be actively respiring and consuming oxygen
Test tubes
Soda-lime pellets (or potassium hydroxide)
o To absorb the carbon dioxide produced
Stopwatch
A respirometer set up to measure the rate of respiration
Method
1. Measure oxygen consumption: set up the respirometer and run the experiment with
both tubes for a set amount of time (e.g. 30 minutes)
2. As the seeds consume oxygen, the volume of air in the test tube will
decrease (CO2 produced during respiration is absorbed by soda lime or KOH)
3. This reduces the pressure in the capillary tube and manometer fluid will move
towards the test tube containing the seeds
4. Measure the distance moved by the liquid in a given time
5. Use this measurement to calculate the change in gas volume within a given
time, x cm3 min-1
6. Reset the apparatus: allow air to re-enter the tubes via the screw cap and reset the
manometer fluid using the syringe
7. Run the experiment again: remove the soda-lime from both tubes and use the
manometer reading to calculate the change in gas volume in a given time, y cm3 min-1
Equation for calculating change in gas volume
The volume of oxygen consumed (cm3 min-1) can be worked out using the diameter of
the capillary tube r (cm) and the distance moved by the manometer fluid h (cm) in a
minute using the formula:
πr2h
Calculations
x tells us the volume of oxygen consumed by respiration within a given time
y tells us the volume of oxygen consumed by respiration within a given time minus the
volume of carbon dioxide produced within a given time
o y may be a positive or negative value depending on the direction that the
manometer fluid moves (up = positive value, down = negative value)
The two measurements x and y can be used to calculate the RQ
Equation to calculate RQ values using a respirometer
Worked Example
During a respirometer experiment using blow fly larvae, the volume of oxygen consumed was
2.9 cm3min-1. The soda lime was removed from both test tubes and the experiment was
repeated. The change in gas volume was -0.8 cm3min-1. Calculate the RQ value for the blow fly
larvae.
Answer:
x = 2.9 cm3min-1
y = -0.8 cm3min-1
Step 1: Write down equation
Step 2: Substitute values
Step 3: Calculate RQ
Interpretation of results
Respirometers can be used in experiments to investigate how different factors affect the
RQ of organisms over time
o E.g. temperature – using a series of water baths
When an RQ value changes it means the substrate being respired has changed
Some cells may also be using a mixture of substrates in respiration e.g. An RQ value of
0.85 suggests both carbohydrates and lipids are being used
o This is because the RQ of glucose is 1 and the RQ of lipids is 0.7
Under normal cell conditions the order substrates are used in respiration: carbohydrates,
lipids then proteins
The RQ can also give an indication of under or overfeeding:
o An RQ value of more than 1 suggests excessive carbohydrate/calorie intake
o An RQ value of less than 0.7 suggests underfeeding