Answer
Because DNP makes the mitochondrial inner membrane leaky, its proton gradient will run down without producing ATP. This wastes the energy in food, so that weight will be lost. It is, in a way, like running in place without using muscles. If too much weight is lost or if not enough ATP is made due to the use of DNP, patients could die.
Work Step by Step
This question asks you to associate the action of a drug (DNP) with the material in this chapter about chemiosmosis. It then asks you to interpret medical results in light of the information in the chapter.