Unit 2.4 Metabolisms In Conformers And Regulators Flashcards
What are the external abiotic factors affecting metabolic rate?
Temperature, Salinity, pH
These factors influence how organisms maintain their metabolic processes.
How does temperature affect metabolic rate?
Increases in temperature lead to an increase in the metabolic rate of conformers due to sped-up biochemical reactions.
This effect is particularly notable in ectothermic organisms.
What is the effect of changes in salinity on metabolic rate?
Higher energy expenditure is required to maintain the balance of salt and water.
This is crucial for osmoregulation in organisms.
How does pH influence metabolism?
pH can affect enzyme activity and overall cellular processes.
Most enzymes have an optimal pH range for efficient functioning.
What is a conformer?
Conformers’ internal environment is dependent upon external environment.
How do conformers adjust their body temperature?
Conformers adjust their body temperature to match their surroundings.
What do animals like lizards and snakes rely on for warmth?
Animals like lizards and snakes rely upon external heat sources such as basking in the sun to warm up.
How do conformers maintain their optimum metabolic rate?
Conformers use behavioural responses to maintain optimum metabolic rate.
What allows conformers to tolerate variation in their external environment?
Behavioural responses by conformers allow them to tolerate variation in their external environment.
How do spider crabs conform to salinity?
Spider crabs can lose or gain water to conform to the salinity of the water it is in.
What are the metabolic costs and ecological niches of conformers?
Conformers have low metabolic costs and a narrow range of ecological niches.
Where do spider crabs primarily survive?
Spider crabs have a very narrow range of locations they can survive in, mainly situated around the Pacific near Japan.
What is a regulator?
Regulators maintain their internal environment regardless of external environment.
How can elephants regulate their temperature?
Elephants can regulate their temperature through their ears due to their large surface area.
How do regulators control their internal environment?
Regulators use metabolism to control their internal environment, which increases the range of possible ecological niches.
What is required for regulators to achieve homeostasis?
This regulation requires energy to achieve homeostasis, which increases their metabolic costs.
What is the temperature monitoring centre in the body?
The hypothalamus.
How does the hypothalamus communicate temperature changes?
Information is communicated by electrical impulses through nerves.
What are effectors in thermoregulation?
Effectors bring about corrective responses to return temperature to normal.
What happens in response to an increase in body temperature?
Corrective responses include sweating, vasodilation, and decreased metabolic rate.
What is the role of sweating in thermoregulation?
Heat is used to evaporate water in sweat, cooling the skin.
What is vasodilation?
Increased blood flow to the skin that increases heat loss.
What happens in response to a decrease in body temperature?
Corrective responses include shivering, vasoconstriction, hair erector muscle contraction, and increased metabolic rate.
What is the role of shivering in thermoregulation?
Muscle contraction generates heat.
