Energy Flashcards
Define a calorie
heat energy needed to raise the temperature of 1g of water from 14.5 to 15.5 degrees Celsius
Define a joule
energy expended when 1 kg is moved 1m by a force of 1 newton
What 5 things is energy required for?
maintenance, activity, thermoregulation, growth, reproduction
What 3 things fall under “daily energy expenditure”
Maintenance, Activity, Thermoregulation
What is included in basal metabolism?
kidney filtration, respiration, circulation, nerve & liver function, cell maintenance
What are some aspects of activity?
standing, burrowing, locomotion, flying, fighting, playing, etc.
What is involved in reproduction for birds?
egg production and incubation
What is involved in reproduction for mammals?
gestation and lactation
When is a homeothermic animal as its BMR?
at rest (not sleeping)
In a post-absorptive state
In a thermoneutral environment
Without physical or psychological stress
What metabolic rates are lower than the BMR?
sleeping
starvation
dehydration
hibernation/torpor/hypothermia
True or false - a larger animal has a higher BMR per unit of body weight than a smaller animal
false. other way around
When is BMR not constant?
in rapidly growing animals so this would be x2 the adult BMR
in sleeping animals the metabolic rate is 7-28% lower
BMR can be either higher or lower in the winter depending on the species
What is a passerine bird vs a non-passerine bird? Give two examples of each.
passerine birds are “perching” or “songbirds”
ex. swallows, mockingbirds
Non-passerine birds - ex. penguins, emus
The BMR for many tropical & nocturnal birds is ______ (lower/higher) than temperate & diurnal birds
lower
The BMR for many marine birds is _______ (lower/higher) than for terrestrial species
higher
Usually, the BMR for birds is _______ (less/greater) than the BMR for mammals of the same weight
greater
When is the BMR for a bird not constant?
during the non-active part of the day
BMR for passerines is higher in the winter than the summer
True or false - the BMR for non-passerine birds changes seasonally. What bird is the exception to that rule?
false. it does not change seasonally.
Ptarmigan, higher in summer than in winter
The BMR is newly hatched birds is usually ______ (lower/higher)
lower
What is metabolizable energy?
body weight and composition remain constant in a healthy, non-reproducing animal/bird living in its normal environment
What does the equation for daily energy expenditure include?
BMR, activity, thermoregulation, food metabolism
How much more energy does standing require? What animals are exceptions to this?
~20%. equids b/c they lock their legs
What is terrestrial locomotion?
walking, trotting, running
Does energy used increase with speed?
Yes, linearly
When would an animal change its gait?
when the energy cost of increasing speed using the slower gait is greater than changing to a faster gait
true or false - the energy cost of locomotion is highest in large animals. Why?
false. highest in small animals because have shorter legs for shorter and more frequent strides
When is locomotion as part of daily energy expenditure a major energy expense?
migration and locomotion through snow
When does traveling through the snow become a lower energy cost?
“plowing” like bison, “bounding” which is raising legs higher so like white-tailed deer, and following a lead animal
What about the foot is important in energy cost of locomotion in snow?
Foot-loading and foot area
___ (big/small) feet and _____ (big/small) BW = low energy to move
big, small
How do penguins decrease their energy cost in the snow?
Tobogganing in soft snow and ice
What is terrestrial locomotion?
Vertical movement
True or false - in some cases, descending a slope may require more energy than moving the same distance horizontally
true
Define burrowing.
scraping soil from tunnel walls and removing scraped soil
What are the three benefits to burrowing even though it requires much more energy than walking?
access to food, protection from predators, a more stable thermal environment
True or false - very short flights require less energy than longer flights
FALSE. require more
What is the most energy efficient speed for surface swimmers?
~0.5 m/s
When is submerged swimming most energy efficient?
At faster speeds
What is brachiation?
Swinging from tree to tree using arms
How many times more energy is required from brachiation compared to a standing animal?
3x
An animal’s energy supply comes only from where?
food
What are four things that occur when food becomes scare/absent?
Switch to less desirable food source, use body fat stores, go to where food is available (migration) reduce energy requirements by reducing body temp
What are animals called that maintain a relatively constant core body temperature despite hide fluctuations in environmental temperature?
homeotherms
What are animals called that their body temperature is determined by heat sources outside the body?
poikiolotherms
What is the common usage of hibernation?
passing the winter in a resting state or an animal or plant spending the winter in a dormant state
What is the difference between hibernation and torpor?
hibernation occurs for greater than 4 days and animal must have a minimum body temperature of less than 6 degrees. torpor occurs for 24 hours or less and the animal must have a minimum body temperature of greater than 15 degrees
What occurs to reduce body temperature during hibernation and torpor?
new lower set-point for body temperature, reduced metabolic activity, reduced heart rate, reduced respiration rate
How do animals rewarm after hibernation or torpor?
Using only endogenous heat
Since poikilotherms cannot use endogenous heat to rewarm themselves, what will happen if they can’t?
Undergo hypothermia
How do animals adapt to maintain energy stores during hibernation?
some animals store food in their nest/burrow and eat during arousal periods. Some animals put on fat before entering hibernation
What does arousal involve?
increase body temp, heart rate, respiration rate and oxygen consumtion
Why does the anterior of the body warm faster than the posterior?
because of differential blood flow
True or false - animals will curl up to enter hibernation but may not do so when entering torpor
true
true or false - animals may be capable of uncoordinated locomotion and may eat and drink in torpor and this is also the case in hibernation
false. true for torpor, false for hibernation
How is migration defined?
seasonal round-trip between discrete areas not used at other times of year
What groups of animals migrate?
gregarious herbivores, solitary herbivores, solitary carnivores, social carnivores, marine mammals
When do animal migrate?
when food availability or accessibility is low so in winter, cold or dry seasons
What defines long distance migration?
one-way movement greater than 10-12 km
True or false - long distance migrations or mass migrations have recently been reduced or lost
true
What are two animals that no longer migrate but used to?
Black wildebeest and the Blesbok
What are two reasons why migration may be lost?
conservation of migrant species and securing seasonal ranges
What animal has the largest remaining mammal migration?
Blue Wildebeest
True or false - approximately half the world’s species of birds migrate
true
What are the types of migration?
Complete
Partial
Irruptive ‘almost migrations’
Altitudinal migration
What is complete migration?
almost all members of a species leave the breeding area during non-breeding season
In what hemisphere do most birds breed? Why don’t they normally breed in the other hemisphere?
Northern. Limited land masses
What is partial migration?
not all members of a species leave the breeding area during non-breeding season
Who may migrate and who may stay during partial migrations?
Juveniles and females may migrate while adults and males may stay
What are ‘leapfrog’ migrants?
birds flying over areas inhabited by non-migrating birds to avoid food competition with those birds