ectotherms 7 Flashcards
What is a myotome?
Muscle blocks which are divided into red muscle and white muscle
What are the different roles between a red and white muscle?
The red muscle is aerobic containing myoglobin and is used for slow swimming or cruising
Whit muscles are glycolytic and used to put on rapid bursts of speed in sprinting but limited by the fact that it results in the build up of lactic acid
What must swimming animals do to have appropriate locomotion?
Have reduced resistance that water offers to movement
Be capable of propelling themselves through a dense medium
Control their vertical position
Maintain their orientation and steer body
What are the forces involved in fish movement?
The interaction of the body of the fish and the water at the boundary layer which can create friction drag
Pressure drag where the fish is blunt that it cannot divide the flow waves
These two types of drag combine to create an ideal body length to height ratio of 4.5
What are the categories of fish swimming?
Anguiliform where the entire body moves from head to tail with considerable amplitude
Sub and carangiform where the head moves slightly but builds considerable amplitude near the tail
Thunniform where only the last 3rd fo the body moves but at very fast speeds such as 16 Hz
What are the cues to swimming tail efficiency?
The tail shape was controlled by span (tip to tip), chord (length) and the aspect ratio (chord/span) and sweepback angles
What is the purpose of fins?
To control the instability which can occur in the water, rolling which is controlled by a dorsal fin, yaw and pitch which are counteracted by other forces
What is the biggest issue with moving on land?
There is not much of a problem with drag due to the thinner medium, however supporting yourself against gravity can be an issue
This is dealt with the pentadactyl limb which has changed in function from propulsion to support as well as the development of extensor and flexor muscles to provide force
What is the difference between the early and late tetrapod limbs?
Early tetrapods had to use an inefficient waddle to move
Later tetrapods brought the limbs up and under the body allowing for more efficient movement
