Introduction
Metabolism is a chemical process that consists of obtaining energy through cellular respiration. This metabolic process involves converting organic matter, such as carbohydrates obtained from diet, along with oxygen, in order to create adenosine triphosphate (ATP), as well as carbon dioxide (CO2) and water (H2O). ATP is an asset in metabolism as it is often described as the ‘energy currency’ of an organism because it supplies energy for several bodily functions such as biosynthesis, solute transport and muscle contractions (Hanson, 1989).
Metabolic rate represents the speed at which energy and organic matter is transformed (Glazier, 2008). Therefore, the rate of oxygen consumption is directly proportional to the metabolic rate, …show more content…
Tenebrio molitor are omnivorous creatures. In the wild, they are known as decomposers, eating grain and vegetation. The diet of home grown Tenebrio molitor consist of cereal bran, flour (wheat and oats) with fresh fruits and vegetables, as well as protein sources including soybean, skimmed milk or yeast (Aguilar-Miranda et al., 2002). For this study, the regular lab diet consists of wheat bran and oatmeal. In this experiment, three samples of Tenebrio molitor will be used. The control group consists of Tenebrio molitor on their regular diet and the two experimental groups consist of one group being on a high protein diet and the other group on an only water diet (starved) for two days prior to the experiment. It is hypothesized that the change of diet in the Tenebrio molitor will affect its metabolic rate, and thus their respiratory quotient. Moreover, it is predicted that the metabolic rate for the regular diet of the Tenebrio molitor will be the highest with a respiratory quotient of approximately 1.0, while the metabolic rate for the starved Tenebrio molitor would be lower than both, their regular diet and the high protein