{"title":"The effect of temperature change on metabolism: separating biological and chemical reactions","authors":"K. Rychert","doi":"10.12775/eq.2022.040","DOIUrl":null,"url":null,"abstract":"Life-detection experiments carried out in extraterrestrial locations provided inconclusive results whether processes observed were biological or chemical. In this study, the typical effect of temperature on metabolic rates is described and a life-detection method that is easy to perform is proposed. The method comprises observing changes in microbial metabolic rates after temperature shift. The method was demonstrated by experiments on aquatic microorganisms in the Gulf of Gdansk (Baltic Sea). First experiment, in which temperature was shifted within the temperature range encountered at the sampling site, demonstrated a typical Q10 coefficient (2.84). The experiment in which temperature was shifted beyond the environmental temperature range provided an unexpectedly low Q10 coefficient (1.44), which indicated that excessive temperature exerted an inhibitory effect on metabolism. This response is not expected for chemical reactions, but it is typical for biological processes. In summary, a pair of properly-tailored experiments permitted separating biological and chemical reactions.","PeriodicalId":44105,"journal":{"name":"Ecological Questions","volume":" ","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":0.6000,"publicationDate":"2022-08-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":"0","resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":null,"PeriodicalName":"Ecological Questions","FirstCategoryId":"1085","ListUrlMain":"https://doi.org/10.12775/eq.2022.040","RegionNum":0,"RegionCategory":null,"ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":null,"EPubDate":"","PubModel":"","JCR":"Q4","JCRName":"ECOLOGY","Score":null,"Total":0}
引用次数: 0
Abstract
Life-detection experiments carried out in extraterrestrial locations provided inconclusive results whether processes observed were biological or chemical. In this study, the typical effect of temperature on metabolic rates is described and a life-detection method that is easy to perform is proposed. The method comprises observing changes in microbial metabolic rates after temperature shift. The method was demonstrated by experiments on aquatic microorganisms in the Gulf of Gdansk (Baltic Sea). First experiment, in which temperature was shifted within the temperature range encountered at the sampling site, demonstrated a typical Q10 coefficient (2.84). The experiment in which temperature was shifted beyond the environmental temperature range provided an unexpectedly low Q10 coefficient (1.44), which indicated that excessive temperature exerted an inhibitory effect on metabolism. This response is not expected for chemical reactions, but it is typical for biological processes. In summary, a pair of properly-tailored experiments permitted separating biological and chemical reactions.
期刊介绍：
The fundamental task set by the editors of the journal is to bring together and present a diversity of research connected with ecology. Apart from the traditional ecological research areas, the scope of the journal will embrace more peripheral ecological issues connected with other disciplines of biology. Recognizing the increasing importance of the humanities in ecological research, the editors will strive to give such issues due representation in the journal. We hope to encourage the researchers contributing to the journal to adopt an unconventional approach to solving ecological problems, to go beyond classical, well-established conceptions, and to include methodological and anthropological issues. Such an approach is validated by the intensive development of the sciences bordering on both biology and the humanities that has been observed over recent years.
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