Final answer:
Maggot activity within a body cannot continue when air temperature drops below freezing because maggots, being poikilotherms, cannot regulate their body temperature and thus enter dormancy in cold conditions. Findings from Francesco Redi's experiment as well as understanding of insect adaptation through torpor support this conclusion.
Step-by-step explanation:
The question asks whether maggot activity within a body can continue when air temperature drops below freezing. The answer to this question is False. Maggots, which are the larvae of flies, are poikilotherms, meaning that they are unable to regulate their internal body temperature independently of the environment. Therefore, when temperatures fall below freezing, maggot activity dramatically slows down or stops because the larvae enter into a state of dormancy due to the inhibitive cold temperatures. In Francesco Redi’s experiment, maggots only appeared on meat that was directly exposed to flies, suggesting that maggots require a connection with adult flies for their presence and cannot thrive at temperatures that are unfavorable for flies.
Furthermore, cold conditions reduce the need for reproduction in flies; energy normally used for this purpose is diverted to other functions essential for survival, which in freezing conditions, would likely not include maggot activity.
It is also significant to note that animals, including insects, adapt to extremes of temperature or food availability through torpor. While arctic ground squirrels can reduce their body temperature and metabolic rate during torpor to survive cold conditions, this is not equivalent to saying that maggots can continue their activity in a frozen state. Therefore, the claim that maggots can remain active in below-freezing temperatures is False.