Animal physiology Flashcards
What are common animal physiology problems
- Obtain nutrients
- Get rid if waste products
- Co-ordination between system
- Sense and respond to environment
How are physiology problems resolved
- Obtain nutrients digestive
- Obtain oxygen and get rid of carbon dioxide respiratory and cardiovascular
- Sense and respond neural and endocrine
Physiology
The branch of biology that deals with the normal functions of living organisms and their parts
Covergent evolution
Shape or structure constrained by physical laws
Physical law
Size and shape are limited by laws of gravity and/or hydrodynamics i.e. fast swimmers
Exchange with environment
animals body plan must allow all its cells to be in contact with fluid to exchange, nutrients, gases and wastes with the environment
Passive diffusion
- Required no energy is the movement of molecules, (for example nutrients, gases) from an area of high concentration to low concentration
Homeostasis
maintaining relatively stable internal environment
Receptor
detects changes in variable (e.g. temperature)
Control centre
receives information from the receptor, compares it to set point (too high or too
low) and sends appropriate message to effector
Effector
brings about appropriate change in variable (e.g. ↑ or ↓ temperature).
Negative feedback
stops more change in the same direction, tends to resist changes in the system
Positive feedback
Rare, causes more change in the same direction i.e. activation of some digestive enzymes cause activation of more enzyme
Anatomy
study of form/structure (shape, size, appearance) of living animals and the parts of
their bodies.
Physiology
study of how living animals function (how animals work).
Three main benefits to a complex/specialised GI tract in animals
Allows organisation
Each compartment leading to increased digestive efficiency
Animals are able to ingest additional food before previous meal has finished digesting
What are the four stages of food processing
ingestion, digestion, absorption, elimination
What’s an example of filter/suspension feeding and describe it
Molluscs - aquatic animals sift small food particles from water
Whats an example of substrate feeding and describe it
Caterpillars - live in or on food source
What’s an example of fluid feeding and describe it
Mosquitos - suck nutrient, rich fluid from living host (animal/plant)
What’s an example of bulk feeding and describe it
Most animal group - eat relatively large pieces of food
Circulatory system
Transports fluids around the body
Advantages of open circulatory systems
Less energy to use and maintain
Disadvantage of closed circulatory systems
Less efficient transport
No means of regulating flow of hemolymph
Advantage of closed circulatory systems
More efficient transport of gases and nutrients
Distribution of blood can be altered
Disadvantage
More energy required to use and maintain
Endothermy
Animals own metabolic heart to maintain a constant body temperature
Osmoregulation
animal regulates the concentration of solutes and balances the gain and loss of water
