Identifying the Impact of Varying Temperature on the Metabolic Rate of M.Musculus

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The purpose of this experiment was to identify the impact of varying temperature on the metabolic rate of M.musculus. It can be drawn from the results of this experiment that temperature does appear to have a significant effect on metabolic rate of M. musculus. The results of this experiment are consistent with general concepts of animal physiology. These include that within the thermoneutral zone of an endotherm, metabolic rate remains constant (Figure 1). When the environmental temperature is outside of the thermoneutral zone, adjustments are made behaviorally and metabolically (Anderson et al., 2008). As the temperature decreases below thermoneutrality, the rate of heat loss increases accordingly; and the mass-specific metabolic rate must increase to compensate for this fact. As the temperature increases, the thermoneutral zone of M. musculus is surpassed and metabolic rate increases (Figure 1). Homeothermic endotherms in North America experience a wide variety of temperatures out of their thermoneutral zone and accordingly, their metabolic rates must adjust by acclimatization (Anderson et al., 2008). It would be expected that M. musculus would be able to acclimatize during the winter and summer seasons while living in North America as these temperatures are relatively close to the temperatures used in this experiment (mean=22.05°C, mean= 5°C, respectively) (US Department Of Commerce).

A similar study was performed on M. musculus in another experiment in which the metabolic rate was measured under two temperatures (5◦C and 25◦C) (Lynch et al., 1999). In order to compare the results, the metabolic rates at the separate temperatures of both studies were compared respectively. Their results were similar to the results from this e...

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...tion occurs by increasing the metabolic rate when climate temperature is outside of the thermoneutral zone.

Works Cited

Lacy, R. Lynch, C. (1978). Partitioning of variance manuscript: Quantitative genetic analysis of of temperature regulation in Mus Musculus. Middletown, CT: Weslyan University.

Anderson, M. Hill, R. Wyse, G. (2008). Animal Physiology. 2nd edition. Sunderland: Sinauer Associates, Inc.

Johnston, I. Stone, G. Willmer, P. (2000). Environmental physiology of animals. Oxford: Blackwell Science Ltd.

Milligan, C. L & Sinclair, B. J. (2011). Organismal Physiology Lab Manual: Effect of temperature on oxygen consumption of the mouse (Mus musculus). London, ON: The University of Western Ontario.

U.S Department Of Commerce. (2007). NCDC: National Climatic Data Center. http://www.ncdc.noaa.gov/oa. Accessed 20 September 2011.

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