Chapter 10- Animal Life Processes Flashcards
Cartilage
A connective tissue that is more flexible than bone and that protects the ends of bones and keeps them from rubbing together.
Molting
The process of shedding an outgrown exoskeleton.
Joint
A place in the body where two bones come together.
Muscle
A tissue that contracts or relaxes to create movement.
Nervous system
organ system that receives information from the environment and coordinates a response.
Stimulus
Any change or signal in the environment that can make an organism react in some way.
Response
An action or change in behavior that occurs as a result of a stimulus.
Neuron
A cell that carries information through the nervous system.
Impulse
An electrical message that carries information in the nervous system.
Sensory neurons
A neuron that picks up stimuli from the internal or external environment and converts each stimulus into a nerve impulse.
Interneuron
neuron that carries nerve impulses from one neuron to another.
Motor neuron
neuron that sends an impulse to a muscle or gland, causing the muscle or gland to react.
Brain
organized grouping of neurons in the head of an animal with bilateral symmetry.
Water vascular system
system of fluid-filled tubes in an echinoderm’s body.
Swim bladder
internal gas-filled organ that helps a bony fish stabilize its body at different water depths.
Carnivore
consumer that obtains energy by eating only animals.
Herbivore
consumer that obtains energy by eating only plants.
Omnivores
consumer that obtains energy by eating both plants and animals.
Filter feeder
animal that strains its food from water.
Digestion
process that breaks down complex molecules of food into smaller nutrient molecules.
Digestive system
organ system that has specialized structures for obtaining and digesting food.
Cellular respiration
process in which oxygen and glucose undergo a complex series of chemical reactions inside cells, releasing energy.
Diffusion
process by which molecules move from an area of higher concentration to an area of lower concentration.
Respiratory system
organ system that enables organisms to exchange gases with their surroundings.
Circulatory system
organ system that transports needed materials to cells and removes wastes.
Larva
immature form of an animal that looks very different from the adult.
Polyp
cnidarian body form characterized by an upright vase shape and usually adapted for a life attached to an underwater surface.
Medusa
cnidarian body form characterized by an open umbrella shape and adapted for a freeswimming life.
External fertilizer
When eggs are fertilized outside of a female’s body.
Internal fertilizer
When eggs are fertilized inside a female’s body.
Gestation period
length of time between fertilization and birth of a mammal.
Amniotic eggs
An egg with a shell and internal membranes that keep the embryo moist; a major adaptation to life on land characteristic of reptiles, birds, and egg-laying mammals.
Placenta
organ in most pregnant mammals, including humans, that links the mother and the developing embryo and allows for the passage of materials between them.
Metamorphosis
process in which an animal’s body undergoes major changes in shape and form during its life cycle.
Complete metamorphosis
type of metamorphosis with four distinct stages: egg, larva, pupa, and adult
Pupa
third stage of complete metamorphosis, in which a larva develops into an adult insect.
Incomplete metamorphosis
type of metamorphosis with three stages: egg, nymph, and adult.
Nymph
stage of incomplete metamorphosis that usually resembles the adult insect.
Tadpole
larval form of a frog or toad.
