Why isn't respiration proportional to temperature of the surroundings?
Basically of got this graph that shows that as temperature increases, so does respiration, up to a point.
The data is
Temperature / Distance moved on respirometer
20c / 10mm
25c / 14mm
30c / 16mm
35c / 20mm
40c / 16mm
The questions asks whether or not the distance increases proprtionally to the temperature (no) but i also asks why not which is the bit i don't understand.
Basically why isn't respiration proportional to temperature?
2007-02-06 06:45:57 · 3 answers · asked by will t 2 in Science & Mathematics ➔ Biology
Because respiration requires the work of many enzymes, and many many different carefully coordinated reactions. Enzymes are proteins, and at a certain termperature they begin losing efficiency until they plain don't work anymore. Optimal human respiration temperature is 37 C, but increasing the temperature any higher actually lowers the respiration.
2007-02-09 16:18:09 · answer #1 · answered by kz 4 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Distance does increase but not proportionally; respiration is controlled by many enzymes.
Enzymes activity increases with temperature up until it's optimum. After the optimum, the temperature destroys (denatures) the enzyme.
Our ptimum is 37 degrees Celsius; at 40 denaturing is occurring therefore we have a decrease as the enzymes are becoming less efficient.
It's more complicated and there is no scientific language but I hope you get the idea x
2007-02-06 06:58:26 · answer #2 · answered by life_aint_a_game_10 2 · 0⤊ 0⤋
Your lungs do not expand with temperature, so therefore the distance moved is finite.
2007-02-06 06:51:10 · answer #3 · answered by Anonymous · 0⤊ 0⤋