4.2 Flashcards
Many animals stop responding to continued stimulus. This is known as…
habituation
In order to determine the environmental component of a behavior, we need to…
test individuals with similar/same genotypes in different environments
How is behavior defined? Why are behaviors subject to natural selection?
A behavior is an action carried out by muscles under control of the nervous system in response to a
stimulus. If there is genetic variation natural selection can act on it, behaviors are subject to natural
selection because they are essential for survival and reproduction.
learning process that can occur only during a limited period of the individual’s development is called…
imprinting
Which of the following types of sensory signals is fast and can be detected only in daylight in environments with no
physical obstructions?
visual
A stickleback fish will attack a fish model as long as the model has red coloring. Which of the following is illustrated by
this observation?
fix action
Many behaviors result from interactions with the environment. Which of the following ultimately modifies all
behaviors?
evolution
Which of the following is a behavior that minimizes the cost of looking for food and maximizes the benefits of finding
food?
optimal foraging
Define osmoconformers and osmoregulators? In what habitat is each strategy more common?
Osmoconformers: organisms that that are isosmotic with their surroundings and do not regulate their osmolarity. This is
more common in marine environments.
Osmoregulators: organisms that expend energy to control water uptake and loss in hyperosmotic or hypoosmotic
environments (can regulate their osmolarity). This is more common in freshwater and terrestrial environments.
What are the three types of nitrogenous waste? How are they different in regard to toxicity and metabolic cost?
Ammonia, urea and uric acid.
Ammonia is highly toxic but highly soluble in water. Ammonia can be tolerated only at very low concentrations, animals
that excrete ammonia need access to lots of water. Common in aquatic species. Least expensive waste compared to urea
and uric acid.
Urea: less toxic than ammonia, thus it can accumulate in the body in higher concentrations before it needs to be
excreted which causes less water to be lost. However, there is a cost associated with producing urea from ammonia.
Uric acid: relatively nontoxic and does not dissolve in water, thus when excreted it looks like a solid paste and causes very
little water loss. However, uric acid is very expensive to make and requires lots of ATP for synthesis from ammonia.
What is the difference between innate and learned behavior
Innate behavior is developmentally fixed, and nearly all individuals in a population will exhibit virtually
the same behavior despite internal and environmental differences during development and throughout
life. Learned behavior is variable, depending on experience. Learned behavior results from the
modification of behavior based on specific experiences.
What is the difference between excretion and osmoregulation?
During metabolic reactions, certain waste products are formed which the cell cannot use. In fact, if they accumulate in
the body, they become toxic. Therefore, they have to be excreted.
Osmoregulation refers to the maintenance of constant osmotic pressure in the fluids of an organism by the control of
water and salt concentrations.
What is anhydrobiosis? What animal provides a good example of this?
This is a dormant state that involves the loss of almost all body water.
Example: tardigrades also known as water bears.
Antidiuretic hormone (ADH) is a hormone involved in regulating the body’s water balance. Which endocrine gland
releases ADH into the bloodstream?
Pituitary
Which hormone is represented by the letter A?
ADH
