3 - External Environment Mammalian (continued) Flashcards
(33 cards)
What is echolocation and which animals use it
A biological sonar used by bats, marine mammals, and some humans to detect objects and navigate
How do bats use echolocation
Emit ultrasound pulses (up to 200/sec)
Detect objects with ~1mm accuracy
How do dolphins use echolocation
Similar to medical scanners for detecting objects in their environment
What’s unique about narwhal echolocatio
They echolocate vertically to navigate through ice-covered waters
How do bats protect their hearing while echolocating
They shut down hearing using the stapedius muscle to avoid self-deafening
What is the purpose of taste and smell
To detect food and potential dangers
How do mammals detect taste
Through taste buds located on the tongue
How do other animals detect taste
They use varied structures for chemoreception
How do plants perceive gravity
Through statoliths—starch-filled plastids involved in graviperception
What is positive and negative gravitropism in plants
Roots grow downwards (positive)
Shoots grow upwards (negative)
How do animals detect gravity
Via the vestibular system in the inner ear
How do terrestrial animals cope with gravity
They use skeletal and muscular adaptations
How do aquatic animals manage gravity
Through buoyancy
Bony fish have swim bladders, cartilaginous fish use fatty livers and hydrofoil-shaped bodies
How do airborne animals achieve lift and stability
They achieve near-neutral buoyancy and use thermals, aerodynamics, and take-off strategies (e.g. leaping off ledges)
What is kinetic energy in the thermal context
Energy from the movement of molecules
What is heat
Energy that causes molecular vibration
How is temperature defined
As a measure of heat energy in a system
What does the First Law of Thermodynamics state
Energy cannot be created or destroyed
What does the Second Law of Thermodynamics state
Heat transfers from warmer to cooler objects
What are the main methods of heat transfer
Conduction – direct contact
Convection – via fluid movement
Evaporation – liquid to gas (e.g. sweating)
What is a poikilotherm
An animal whose body temperature varies with the environment
What is an ectotherm
An animal that uses external heat sources (e.g. basking reptiles)
What is an endotherm (homeotherm)
An animal that regulates its body temperature metabolically (e.g. mammals, birds)
What are plant adaptations for thermal regulation
Transpiration
Hairs, wax, and leaf shape
Heat shock proteins to protect cells
