Thermoregulation pt. 1

Question 1

What are the two different body types in terms of heat maintenance?

Answer 1

Pokliotherm (cold-blooded) and Homeotherm (warm-blooded)

Question 2

What are the four ways that heat can be transferred from/to an animal?

Answer 2

Conduction (Movement of heat using molecular motion)
Convection (mass movement of gas or liquids e.g water currents)
Radiation (heat lost by energy in the form of em waves)
Evaporation ( heat lost by the evaporation of water)

Question 3

What is the heat balance equation and what is it’s significance?

Answer 3

Heat total = +/- Heat conduction or convection +/- Heat radiation - Heat evaporation +/- Heat stored.
For a constant body temperature the heat output must be equal to the heat input.

Question 4

What is the eccritic temperature of a reptile ?

Answer 4

This is the preffered temperature of certain reptiles.

Question 5

Name 5 mechanisms that Liolaemus is able to maintain an eccritic temperature

Answer 5

1. Shuttling ( alternately moving from direct sin to shade)
2. Orientation (Spreading legs, flattening body and lying at right angles to the sun
3. Changing colour ( contracting or dispersing melanin granules in the melanophore)
4. Changing blood flow (vasoconstriction or vasodilation)
5. Muscular contraction

Question 6

What are the advantages of being an ectotherm ?

Answer 6

Energy is saved by using external sources of heat, oxygen consumption is 0.1-0.3 times lowerthan that of an exotherm

Question 7

What are the disadvantages of being an ectotherm?

Answer 7

metabolic rate depends on external sources of heat. Predation increases, growth rat and reproduction decreases at low temperatures.