STUDIES ON THE RESPIRATION OF ANIMAL TISSUES

Abstract

The O2 uptake of various tissues of chicks and rats in different nutritional conditions was determined with the Barcroft respirometer. In normal chicks the rates of O2 uptake for liver, kidney and brain tissue are all in the region of 1000 to 1500 c.mm. per gm. of fresh material per hr. Muscle, both cardiac and striated, has a considerably lower O2 requirement with values ranging from 230 to 380 c.mm. With the exception of the cerebellum the O2 uptake of tissues from chicks deficient in certain of the vitamins shows little difference from the normal. Likewise there is no significant difference in the O2 uptake of the livers of normal and anemic rats. The maximum cyanide inhibition varies in different tissues between 48 and 87%, the average being about 60%. Support is thus given to the findings of Dixon and Elliott that the respiration of animal tissues is made up of 2 parts.