Question

A porcupine eats 3,000 J of plant material. Of this, 2,100 J is indigestible and is eliminated as feces, 800 J are used in cellular respiration, and 100 J are used for growth and reproduction. What is the approximate production efficiency of this animal?A) 3%B) 11%C) .03%D) 27%E) 33%

Answer 1

A) 3%

Step-by-step explanation:

Given;

total energy consumed by the porcupine,
`E_t` = 3,000 J

energy eliminated as feces = indigestible plant energy, = 2,100 J

internal energy for cellular respiration = 800 J

energy used by the animal for growth and reproduction = production energy of the animal = 100J

The approximate production efficiency of this animal is calculated as;

`E_n = (100 \ J)/(3,000 \J) * 100 \%\\\\E_n = 3.33 \%\\\\E_n \approx \ 3\%`

Therefore, the approximate production efficiency of this animal is 3 %