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).
