Savion Vidal Ramsundar ________________________ Wednesday March 8 2016 815008532BIOL 2867 – Physiology of Animals Lab 3 – The Effects of Temperature on The Heart Beat of a Mosquito Larva. ABSTRACT: This experiment was mainly to understand how temperature affects Q10 in ectotherms. The Q10 obtained was 1.74 and i
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Savion Vidal Ramsundar ________________________ Wednesday March 8 2016
815008532
BIOL 2867 – Physiology of Animals
Lab 3 – The Effects of Temperature on The Heart Beat of a Mosquito Larva.
ABSTRACT:
This experiment was mainly to understand how temperature affects Q10 in ectotherms. The Q10 obtained was 1.74 and it was found that as temperature increased, the rate increased. The mosquito larva is an ectotherm, which is dependent on environmental temperature. The larva was placed into a glass slide and the temperature around it was manipulated to obtain the variety of values for heart rate for various temperatures. Graphs were plotted and the slopes were found and calculations were made to obtain values relating to the rates for the larva. The thermal increment value obtained was 49234.07 J and it was determined to be more applicable than Q10.
INTRODUCTION:
In this lab experiment, an ectotherm (the mosquito larva) was observed to see how temperature changes affected its heart rate. Ectotherms are organisms which are incapable of regulating their body temperatures through internal mechanisms, and hence, the thermal condition outside of their bodies determine their body temperatures (Hill, Wyse and Anderson 2012) (Sherwood, Klandorf and Yanc 2011).
As temperature increases, the heart rate would increase. Also, as temperature increases, the metabolic reactions of the body increase (thus why heart rate increases). However, there is a point at which further temperature increase would be detrimental – meaning that if the temperature increases too high, then critical enzymes in the body may become denatured and biological functions would cease. Therefore, the rate does not increase indefinitely.
The Q10 (temperature coefficient) value is the factor by which the rate of a reaction increases for every 10 degree rise in temperature (Physiology Web 2015). The Arrhenius equation is used to show the effect of a change in temperature upon the rate of a reaction (Clark 2013).
The aims in this lab experiment is mainly to learn of how temperature affects Q10 in ectotherms. The investigation done is to find out how the various temperatures raise or lower the rates within the organism under observation. Graphs and simple calculations are done to show quantities at which relationships could be made.
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