The following data is collected from placing three lizards of different species in separate closed tanks to measure their production of carbon dioxide over the course of 30 minutes.
Which of the following conclusions can be accurately drawn from this data?
- Lizards with smaller bodies consumed less oxygen per gram of body weight than lizards with larger bodies.
- Each species of lizard has a unique rate of respiration.
- Lizards in warmer climates produce more carbon dioxide than lizards in colder climates.
- The 24-gram lizard consumes oxygen at a rate double that of the 12-gram lizard.
- The amount of carbon dioxide produced per gram of body weight for each species is the same.
Answer(s): E
Explanation:
The best conclusion here is that the amount of carbon dioxide produced per gram of body weight is the same for all species (CO., production/Weight in grams = 0.006 for all species.). Be careful with choice D, because although production of carbon dioxide for the 24 gram lizard may be twice as great as that of the 12 gram lizard, one cannot necessarily conclude that the oxygen consumption of the larger lizard is exactly double.