Three Timed Mice: Why Oxygen Consumption and Metabolic Rate of Mice Increases at Cooler Temperatures

Abstract

As environmental temperature fluctuates, the metabolic rate of mice (Mus musculu) changes as well. We want to know why mice eat more at certain temperatures than they do at other temperatures. While research has been done on birds and hamsters, there is no specific research pertaining to mice. We hypothesized that if the mice are exposed to a higher or lower temperature than their TNZ, then their metabolic rate will respectively decrease and increase as shown by their oxygen consumption. We measured temperature and oxygen concentration at three different temperature settings: room temperature, hot, and cold. Mice exposed to a lower temperature have an increased metabolic rate. We expect this information to help researchers understand why the metabolic rate of mice changes at certain temperatures. 

Keywords: metabolic rate, temperature, Mus musculu, thermoneutral zone, oxygen concentration