indicators in the prediction of overall survival rate. Patients having a npRQ < 0.85 show considerably lower survival rates as compared to patients with a npRQ > 0.85. A decrease in npRQ corresponds to a decrease in glycogen storage by the liver. Similar research indicates that non-alcoholic fatty liver diseases are also accompanied by a low respiratory quotient value, and the non protein respiratory quotient value was a good indication of disease severity. Recently the respiratory quotient is also used from aquatic scientists to illuminate its environmental applications. Experimental studies with natural bacterioplankton using different single substrates suggested that RQ is linked to the elemental composition of the respired compounds. By this way, it is demonstrated that bacterioplankton RQ is not only a practical aspect of Bacterioplankton Respiration determination, but also a major ecosystem state variable that provides unique information about aquatic ecosystem functioning. Based on the stoichiometry of the different metabolized substrates, the scientists can predict that dissolved oxygen (O2) and carbon dioxide (CO2) in aquatic ecosystems should covary inversely due to the processing of photosynthesis and respiration. Using this quotient we could shed light on the metabolic behavior and the simultaneous roles of chemical and physical forcing that shape the biogeochemistry of aquatic ecosystems. Respiratory quotients of some substances See also References External links Biochemistry methods Energy conversion Metabolism Respiratory physiology Underwater diving physiology