Ecophysiology

Question 1

Define ecophysiology

Answer 1

the branch of biology that studies and organisms physiological response to a range of environmental factors

Question 2

What 2 components effect the input to the milieu interieur

Answer 2

behaviour (feeding, drinking etc) and morpholology (locomotion, feeding etc)

Question 3

Give a physiological response to water conservation

Answer 3

extended loop of henle in the kidneys

Question 4

Define a stressor in ecophysiology

Answer 4

any factor that inhibits the growth and reproduction of indiviudals

Question 5

Define stress in ecophysiology

Answer 5

the physiologival resultant of demands thats exceed an organism’s regulatory capacities

Question 6

Define Shelford’s law of tolerance

Answer 6

the distribution of a species will be controlled by that environmental factor for which the organism has the narrowest range of tolerance

Question 7

Give Liebig’s law of minimum

Answer 7

the rate of any biological process is limited by that factor in least amount relative to requirements

Question 8

Define acclimation

Answer 8

a response by an animal or plant that enables it to tolerate a change in a single factor in its environment (behavioural)

Question 9

Define acclimatization

Answer 9

a reversible adaptive response that enables and animals or plants to tolerate environmental change involving several factors. The response is physiological but may affect behaviour, e.g. hibernation.

Question 10

Define adaptation

Answer 10

an evolutionary process of natural selection following a mutation, causing the tolerances of a species to change.

Question 11

Give 3 types of abiotic factor

Answer 11

physical barriers, spacial gradients in climate variables and climate

Question 12

Which 2 organisms have the smallest and largest geographical range

Answer 12

smallest: devil’s hole pupfish (100m3)
largest: blue whale (300,000,000km3 / entire world)