Q9 - Camel Fat Metabolism and Water Economy
Camels are well adapted to desert life. Their hump consists mainly of fat, especially tripalmitin (C₅₁H₉₈O₆). A dehydrated camel’s body temperature may vary from 34.5° C at night to 40.5°C during day.
Body temperature of a dehydrated (red) camel compared to one well supplied with water (blue) (from Schmidt-Nielsen et al. 1957).
Using the information and data, determine which of the statements are true or which are false.
A. The respiration of 1 kg tripalmitin will provide the camel with more than 1 liter of water (molar mass for C = 12, H = 1, O = 16)
B. The respiratory quotient of tripalmitin (CO₂ eliminated/O₂ consumed) is 1.4
C. During the day, a 500 kg dehydrated camel accumulates 2000 kcal of heat in its body (about 0.9 cal is required to increase one gram of tissue 1°C)
D. To keep a constant body temperature, a camel would need 2500 ml of water to get rid of 1000 kcal (1 ml water needs 580 cal to evaporate)
Question reproduced from IBO 2015, Theoretical Exam B, licensed under CC BY-NC-SA 4.0 - attributed to the International Biology Olympiad. Open the full exam PDF · Community solutions (unofficial)