The Effects of Temperature on the Metabolic Rate of Gromphadorhina portentosas

Abstract

The study my group chose to investigate questioned the effect temperature had on metabolism rates in Madagascar hissing cockroaches. We believe that in higher temperatures, the cockroaches will on average respire more than in lower temperatures, therefore increasing the metabolic activity. We predict that the cockroach will produce more CO2 in higher temperatures because chemical reactions happen faster as the body temperature warms. This supports our hypothesis that Gromphadorhina portentosas respire more often in a hot environment than in cooler temperatures, as well as the fact that their metabolic activity increases or decreases with the change in temperature.  To conduct this study, we are experimenting on 15 cockroaches in three different temperatures: 5 degrees Celsius, 30 degrees Celsius, and room temperature to compare. We chose the two most diverse temperatures allowed for animal experimentation to provide the best data on whether temperature influenced metabolism. The cockroach enters the respiratory chamber for five minutes while data is recorded on how much CO2 is produced, as well as the initial and final amount of CO2 that way the metabolic rate can be calculated. The results displayed a correlation between temperature and the metabolic rate. As temperature increases, the metabolism increases as well.