Question

The Respiratory Quotient (RQ) of glucose is

• A. $0.5$
• B. $0.7$
• C. $1.0$
• D. $1.5$

Answer 1

The Correct Option is C

The correct answer is:

Option 3: 1.0

Explanation:

The Respiratory Quotient (RQ) is the ratio of the volume of carbon dioxide (CO₂) produced to the volume of oxygen (O₂) consumed during respiration.

For glucose (C₆H₁₂O₆), the complete aerobic respiration process is:

\(C_6H_{12}O_6 + 6O_2 \rightarrow 6CO_2 + 6H_2O\)

For each molecule of glucose, 6 molecules of CO₂ are produced for every 6 molecules of O₂ consumed.

Thus, the RQ for glucose is:

\(RQ = \frac{\text{CO}_2 \text{ produced}}{\text{O}_2 \text{ consumed}} = \frac{6}{6} = 1.0\)

Therefore, the RQ of glucose is 1.0.

Answer 2

The Respiratory Quotient (RQ) is calculated as the ratio of the amount of CO2​ eliminated to the amount of O2​ consumed. It is a dimensionless number utilized in the calculation of Basal Metabolic Rate (BMR), which is as follows:

\(RQ = \frac{\text{CO}_2 \text{ produced}}{\text{O}_2 \text{ consumed}} \)

Thus, the RQ for glucose or carbohydrates is 1.0, for fats it is 0.7, for proteins it is 0.5, and for organic acids it is greater than 1.0.

So, the correct option is (C) 1.0.