Week 23: Deer Mouse Case Study

Question 1

10 min video Learning Objectives:

(Finished on google docs - Lecture Note)

Question 2

Question on page 18

Question 3

Question on page 20

Make a prediction: Which of the following do you think will be true?

A. Highland mice will use more carbs as a fuel source, while lowland mice will use more fats.
B. Highland mice will use more fats as a fuel source, while lowland mice will use more carbs.
C. Both Highland and Lowland mice are more likely to use fats than carbs.
D. Both Highland and Lowland mice are more likely to use carbs than fats.
E. All mice will use both fuel sources equally and in similar ways.

Answer 3

B. Highland mice will use more fats as a fuel source, while lowland mice will use more carbs.

Reason:
Based on the information provided, the prediction would be B. Highland mice will use more fats as a fuel source, while lowland mice will use more carbs. This is because under high-altitude conditions, the Highlanders have evolved to burn fats at higher rates compared to the Lowlanders. Staying warm in the mountains requires a lot of energy, and burning fats provides a higher amount of energy. Additionally, burning fats requires more oxygen, and at high elevations, where oxygen is limited, the Highlanders have adaptations that allow them to extract more oxygen from the air. Therefore, the prediction is that Highland mice will use more fats as a fuel source, while lowland mice will use more carbs.

Question 4

Question page 24

Make a prediction: what happens with the Highland mice?

A. Highland mice are just incredibly gigantically fat.
B. Highland mice have lower reproductive capacity than lowland mice because they use lots of energy burning fat.
C. Highland mice breathe a lot faster than Lowland mice so they get more oxygen intake per minute.
D. Highland mice are better at getting or using oxygen out of the air than Lowland mice.
E. Nothing – small animals don’t need much oxygen so it doesn’t matter.

Answer 4

D. Highland mice are better at getting or using oxygen out of the air than Lowland mice.

Question 5

Question on page 27

What’s the mechanism the allows mice to access oxygen at high altitudes?

A. Highlanders have bigger lungs than Lowlanders.
B. The hemoglobin in Highlander lungs binds more oxygen than the hemoglobin of Lowlanders.
C. Cells are more efficient at extracting oxygen from hemoglobin in Highlanders than Lowlanders.
D. Cells of Highlanders are more efficient at using oxygen to burn fats than the cells of Lowlanders.

Answer 5

B. The hemoglobin in Highlander lungs binds more oxygen than the hemoglobin of Lowlanders.

Reason:
In high-altitude environments, Highland mice have evolved to have hemoglobin that is better able to bind oxygen in their lungs. This allows their blood to transport more oxygen to the tissues. This genetic difference in hemoglobin between Highland and Lowland mice is indicative of the history of natural selection and adaptation to the low-oxygen environment.