Comparative biology, anatomy, physiology and general nutrition Flashcards
1
Q
Name two different forms of straw digesters
A
- pregastric fermentors
- microbial fermentation in the foregut
- cattle, sheep, goat
- hindgut fermentors
- fermentation takes place after the small intestine
- cecal fermetation: rabbits and guinea-pigs; omnivores: rats and mice
- colon fermentation: horses
2
Q
What are coprophages?
A
- Species that eat a special portion of their faeces
- cecal fermentation –> nutrients cannot be taken up in the caecum
- e.g. rabbits
3
Q
Different forms of diet
A
- pelleted
- expanded
- moist
- powdered
- wet powdered
4
Q
Adequate nutrition should be controlled and optimised for:
A
- species
- sex
- health status
- climate
- genetic background
- physiological condition
- growth, maintenance, ageing
- reprodcution, lactation
5
Q
Ad libitum feeding in rats is associated with:
A
- increased cancer rate
- reduced survival time
- increased kidney degenerative disease
6
Q
Which three types of life cycles can be found in mammals?
A
- monotremes (laying eggs; platypus)
- marsupials
- give birth to small, immature young that further develops inside the mother’s external pouch
- kangaroo, koala
- placental mammals:
- babies develop inside the mother’s body
7
Q
Why are mice and rats used in research?
A
- well characterised
- many mutant stocks
- hardy, adaptable, easy to care for and inexpensive, and small size
- short generation time and high reproductive capacity
- germ-free and specific pathogen free production
- large databases available
8
Q
Disadvantages for mice in research
A
- their small size
- sample large volumes is difficult
- surgery
- monitoring; blood pressure, oxygenation…
- don’t like to swim
9
Q
Disadvantages for rat in research
A
- their small size
- sample large volumes is difficult
- surgery
- monitoring; blood pressure, oxygenation…
- few genetic modified strains
10
Q
What are guinea pigs used for in research?
A
- vitamin C deficiency
- allergy research
- auditory studies
- susceptible for tuberculosis
11
Q
Disadvantages of guinea pig in research
A
- antibiotic sensitive
- few inbred strains
- lack of tail vein
- relative high susceptilibity for infections
12
Q
Rabbits in research
A
- studies of immune response
- antibody production
- eye research
- bone formation
- placental barrier similar to humans; extremely susceptible to both embryo toxic and terotgenic agents
13
Q
Use of frog (xenopus laevis) in research
A
- regeneration of limbs
- embryological studies
- education; neurons
- sodium channels using eggs
