[Campbell Biology P.228] Based on the provided data and the background information about thy... | Practice Question

Based on the provided data and the background information about thyroid hormone and oxygen consumption, which statement accurately reflects the experiment's findings and their implications regarding body temperature?

  • A: Rats with low thyroid hormone had the highest O2 consumption, suggesting higher body temperatures.
  • B: Rats with elevated thyroid hormone had the lowest O2 consumption, contradicting the hypothesis that thyroid hormone increases metabolic rate.
  • C: The data shows elevated thyroid hormone levels are associated with increased oxygen consumption, which supports the hypothesis that thyroid hormone triggers a response leading to greater heat production and thus higher body temperature.
  • D: Normal thyroid hormone levels resulted in the highest oxygen consumption, indicating that deviations from normal levels lead to reduced metabolic activity.

Explanation

The data shows that oxygen consumption was highest 8.7 nmol O2 in cells from rats with elevated thyroid hormone levels, followed by normal 4.8 and then low 4.3 . The background explains that increased O2 consumption in this context is due to reduced efficiency of ATP production, leading to more fuel consumption and increased heat generation. Thus, higher oxygen consumption aligns with the hypothesis that thyroid hormone triggers a response to increase heat production, resulting in higher body temperature for rats with elevated thyroid hormone.