fundamentals Flashcards
proximate
what is the mechanism?
ultimate
how did the mechanism come to be
natural selection
variants of one trait exist that best suit the organism to its environment
requires: variation, heritability, fitness differences, and differential reproductive success
adaptation
a trait that increases an organisms fitness because of natural selection
phenotypic flexibility
non genetic changes that result in an adaptation in an individuals response to the environment
ex: adapting to a new food source
acclimatization
non genetic changes in physiology during the lifetime of an individual due to the natural environment; reversible
acclimation
non genetic changes in physiology during the lifetime of an individual because of experimental manipulation
acute changes
short term and reveresible
chronic changes
long term generally irreversible
evolutionary changes
genetic change
developmental changes
changes in the individual such as maturation
homeostasis
tendency of organisms to regulate an internal environment in a variable external environment
feedback regulation
mechanism of maintaining homeostasis; sensory information about a variable controls cell processes, tissues and organs influence internal levels of that variable
feedback control systems
regulatory systems maintaining homeostasis made up of 4 components
1. Set point
2. Control center
3. Receptor
4. Effector
Negative feedback
Abundance of the product causes the system to stop production, cannot spiral out of control
Positive feedback
Abundance of the product triggers further production
Conformers
Organisms that are in line with their environment
Regulators
Regulation of systems regardless of the external environment
Ectothermy
Body temperature is regulated by the external environment
Endothermy
Body temperature is regulated by metabolism
Homeothermy
Body temperature is kept constant
Pekiliothermy
Body temperature fluctuates with the environment
Heterothermy
Allowing the body temperature to drop in order to conserve energy
Ex: humming birds at night
August Krough principal
For every well defined physiological problem there is an animal best fit to yield an answer
Electrochemical equilibrium
When all charges are balanced within a system
