11 EQUILIBRIUM Flashcards
What does the Surface Law state?
As the volume of an object grows, its relative surface area decreases.
How does the Surface Law affect heat loss in creatures?
The more surface area relative to volume, the harder it is to stay warm.
How many heartbeats does a mouse have per minute compared to an elephant?
A mouse’s heart beats six hundred times a minute, while an elephant’s heart beats just thirty times a minute.
What percentage of their body weight do mice need to consume daily?
About 50 percent of their own body weight.
What is the average number of heartbeats in a lifetime for most animals?
About 800 million heartbeats.
How does human heartbeats in a lifetime compare to other animals?
Humans have about 1.6 billion heartbeats, as we continue to beat after 800 million at around twenty-five years.
What is the energy usage comparison between mammals and reptiles?
A typical mammal uses about thirty times as much energy in a day as a typical reptile.
What is the normal human body temperature?
98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
What is homeostasis?
Maintaining equilibrium within the body.
Who coined the term homeostasis?
Walter Bradford Cannon.
What did Walter Bradford Cannon’s research primarily focus on?
The autonomic nervous system and bodily responses to pain, hunger, fear, and rage.
What chemical is responsible for energy in cells?
Adenosine triphosphate (ATP).
How much ATP does the human body produce and consume daily?
About the equivalent of one’s body weight in ATP.
What is the significance of Peter Mitchell in biochemistry?
He proposed a hypothesis about ATP that was initially dismissed but later led to his Nobel Prize in Chemistry.
What happens to body temperature in the case of a fever?
It elevates beyond normal, but the exact purpose is not fully understood.
Fill in the blank: The brain regulates body temperature through the _______.
hypothalamus.
True or False: Most heat loss occurs through the top of the head.
False.
What is the relationship between body temperature and energy requirements?
Raising body temperature by 3–4 degrees Fahrenheit increases energy requirements by about 20 percent.
What did Charles Blagden’s experiments demonstrate?
The role of perspiration in cooling the body.
What extraordinary ability does the body have according to Cannon?
The ability to regulate itself.
What did Cannon’s book ‘The Wisdom of the Body’ outline?
The body’s extraordinary ability to regulate itself.
What does the term ‘fight or flight’ refer to?
The survival response involving adrenaline.
Fill in the blank: The electrical activity within cells generates about _______ volts per meter.
thirty million.
What is the significance of ATP in the context of cellular function?
It stores and releases energy necessary for cellular activities.
