Question

What is the RQ of anaerobic respiration?

Answer 1

Hint: Respiration is the process of getting oxygen into the body from the outer environment and removing carbon dioxide from the body to the outer environment. The process of respiration in the presence of oxygen that releases ATP is called aerobic respiration. Anaerobic respiration occurs when sugar is broken down to release ATP in the absence of oxygen.
Complete step-by-step answer: The respiratory quotient (RQ) is defined as the ratio of the amount of carbon dioxide released to the amount of oxygen consumed (in terms of volume) during cellular respiration. The RQ depends on the kind of respiratory substrate utilized during respiration. The RQ is a dimensionless number used for calculating the basal metabolic rate. It can be measured using Ganong’s respirometer.
In the case of anaerobic respiration, the total amount of oxygen consumed is zero, as this process happens without oxygen and only carbon dioxide is liberated.
Respiratory quotient = $\dfrac{{CO_2}}{{O_2}}$
$\dfrac{2}{0}$ = Infinity
Therefore, the correct answer is infinity.
Additional Information: The respiratory quotient of the body is nearly 1 which confirms that the volume of oxygen absorbed is the same as that of the carbon dioxide evolved. If it is more than 1, it indicates the amount of oxygen consumed is less than the amount of carbon dioxide released, and if RQ is less than 1, it indicates the amount of oxygen used up is more than the amount of carbon dioxide generated. The molecules with low oxygen content have a higher respiratory quotient, and the molecules with high oxygen content have a lower respiratory quotient.
Note: A decrease in RQ that is caused by damaged carbohydrate metabolism indicates diabetes. The RQ helps in determining conditions like acidosis and alkalosis. It is used to measure the metabolic rate.