2.4 Conformers And Regulators Flashcards
The ability of an organism to maintain its metabolic rate is affected by what?
External abiotic factors
(Temperature, salinity and pH)
What are conformers internal environment dependent on?
Their external environment
What do conforms use behavioural responses to do?
Maintain their optimum metabolic rate
What do conformers have?
Low metabolic costs and a narrow range of ecological niches
What do behavioural responses by conformers allow them to do?
Tolerate variation in their external environment to maintain optimum metabolic rate
Regulators maintain their internal environment…
Regardless of their external environment
What do regulators use metabolism for?
To control their internal environment, which increases the range of possible ecological niches
What does regulation require?
Energy to achieve homeostasis, increasing their metabolic costs
What is the hypothalamus?
The temperature monitoring centre in the brain
What is the role of the hypothalamus, nerves and effectors?
Thermoregulation by negative feedback
How is information communicated in homeostasis?
Electrical impulses through nerves to the effectors, which bring about corrective responses to return temperature to normal
What corrective responses occur after an increase in body temperature?
Sweating, vasodilation, decrease in metabolic rate
What corrective responses occur after a decrease in body temperature?
Shivering, vasoconstriction, contraction of hair erector muscles, increased metabolic rate
Describe sweating
Body heat used to evaporate water in the sweat, cooling the skin
Describe vasodilation
Increased blood flow to the skin increases heat loss
