Respiratory Quotient & RQ Values — NEET Biology
✅ Asked in NEET 2026Let us now look at another aspect of respiration. As you know, during aerobic respiration, O2 is consumed and CO2 is released. The ratio of the volume of CO2 evolved to the volume of O2 consumed in respiration is called the respiratory quotient (RQ) or respiratory ratio.
The respiratory quotient (RQ) is the ratio of CO2 released to O2 consumed during aerobic respiration. NTA tests whether students can calculate RQ for different substrates: carbohydrates have RQ = 1, fats have RQ = 0.7, and proteins have RQ = 0.9. Students often confuse RQ with the actual volumes consumed or produced, rather than treating it as a ratio. The key is remembering that RQ varies based on what substrate is being respired—carbs give complete oxidation (1:1 ratio), while fats require more oxygen (lower RQ). This concept frequently appears in questions about substrate metabolism and anaerobic conditions.
2(C51H98O6) + 145 O2 -> 102 CO2 + 98 H2O + energy. The Respiratory Quotient (RQ) of the biomolecule used would be:
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