Conformers/Regulators Flashcards
What factors affect an organisms ability to maintain its metabolic rate?
External abiotic factors
Name external abiotic factors that affect an organisms ability to maintain its metabolic rate
Temperature
Salinity
pH
What is confirmed internal environment dependent on?
Dependent on external environment
What kind of metabolic costs and ecological niches do conformers have?
Low metabolic costs
Narrow ecological niche
What kind of metabolic costs and ecological niches do regulators have?
High metabolic costs
Wide ecological niche
What can conformers use their behavioural responses to allow for?
Tolerate variation in their external environment to maintain optimum metabolic rate
Regulators maintain their internal environment regardless of?
External environment
Regulators use metabolism to control their internal environment, what does this increase?
The range of possible ecological niches
To achieve homeostasis what is required? What does this increase?
Regulation requires energy to achieve homeostasis, this increases their metabolic costs
Describe the order of negative feedback control
Stimulus (change in temp)
Receptor (skin/blood)
Effector (hypothalamus/skin)
Response (vasodilation etc)
What is the hypothalamus?
The temperature monitoring centre
How is information communicated to effectors?
By electrical impulses through nerves to effectors
When information is communicated to the effectors, what happens?
Bring about corrective responses to return temp to normal
Describe the corrective responses to an increase in body temperature
Sweating
Vasodilation of blood vessels
Decreases metabolic rate
Explain how sweating works
Uses body heat to evaporate water in the sweat which cools the skin which increases heat loss
Explain how vasodilation works
Increases blood flow to the skin which increases heat loss
Explain how a decrease in metabolic rate works
Means less heat is produced
Describe the corrective responses to a decrease in body temperature
Shivering
Vasoconstriction of blood vessels
Hair erector muscles contracting
Increase in metabolic rate
Explain how shivering works
Causes muscle contraction which generates heat
Explain how vasoconstriction works
Decreases blood flow to the skin which decreases heat loss
Explain how hair erector muscles work
They contract which traps a layer of insulating heat
Explain how an increase in metabolic rate works
Means more heat is produced
Explain the importance of regulating temperature (thermoregulation)
For optimal enzyme activity and high diffusion rates to maintain metabolism
