BIOL 4510.510
An Investigation of Insect Metabolism Under a Variety of Stressors
Performed: February 14, 2019
DUE: February 28, 2019
Lab Partners: Sydney Teer, Abdi Dahir, and Jada Hutcherson
TA: Jessica Rippamonti
...
BIOL 4510.510
An Investigation of Insect Metabolism Under a Variety of Stressors
Performed: February 14, 2019
DUE: February 28, 2019
Lab Partners: Sydney Teer, Abdi Dahir, and Jada Hutcherson
TA: Jessica Rippamonti
1Introduction
All living organisms maintain life through numerous chemical reactions taking place inside of
cells and between cells to keep organs and tissues functioning properly. Adding together the sum
of all of these reactions taking place will yield the organism’s metabolic rate (MR). The MR can
be measured by direct calorimetry heat production) or indirect calorimetry, which is a measure of
the oxygen used and the carbon dioxide released by the animal. A third method is to evaluate the
body temperature (Tb) versus the ambient or environment temperature (Ta) which will reveal how
the animal responds to external temperature and regulates, or does not, their internal temperature.
The terms used to classify an organism’s heat response/production and sustainability include
endotherm, ectotherm, homeotherm, and poikilotherm. Endothermy encompasses organisms that
maintain higher MR as well as heat produced while ectothermy includes those with lower MR
and that lose heat produced much more easily to the environment. These organisms display
behavior that aid in maintaining an appropriate internal temperature. Homeotherms are animals
that keep a narrow range of Tb despite wide range and fluctuation of the environment
temperature. In contrast, poikilotherms allow their Tb to fluctuate just as the Ta does.
After reading into the background of insect metabolism, I predict that the three different stressors
will yield different MR responses. Starvation will likely cause a decrease in MR for the insect to
conserve energy before its next meal while an excess of food may cause an increase in MR to
expend the buildup of energy. Temperature and MR will have a liner relationship because insects
are poikilotherms, so their Tb should fluctuate with the Ta. For the final stress, noise, it is likely
that more noise, as in higher frequency of tapping or louder music playing, will cause an increase
in MR as the insect is startled or agitated. Similar to a human’s “fight or flight” response to
sudden, unexpected loud noises.
2
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