module 2+3: definitions Flashcards
Reductionism
look at pieces to understand the whole
Emergence
whole is more than the sum of all its pieces
August krogh models
demands conservation of the underlying structure and function
The August Krogh principle
states that for every biological problem, there’s an organism in which it can be most conveniently studied.
Acclimation
changes in physiology in response to a single environmental factor
Acclimatization
changes in physiology in response to a complex natural environment
Conformers
allow internal conditions to change with external conditions (humans have thermoconformers, osmoconformers, ionoconformers)
Regulators
maintain relatively constant internal conditions regardless of external conditions (humans have thermoregulators, osmoregulators, ionoregulators)
Allostasis
things that change to allow homeostasis. Actively change many systems to maintain constancy.
Source
endothermy (animals that use internal processes to generate heat that allows their body to remain warmer) and ectothermy (rely on external conditions as a way of controlling their body temperature)
Stability
homeothermy (animals that keep their body temperature relatively constant) and poikilothermy (allow their body temperature to vary)
Spatial hemotherm
animals that differ in parts of their body at different temperatures
Temporal hemotherm
animals that have a uniform body temperature but one that differs from one time of the day to another
Adaptation
natural selection favours those variations in a population that increase relative fitness.
Physiology
biological function for anatomy (jack rabbits can alter blood flow to their ears for regulation of heat lost to the environment).
Interstitial fluid
liquid filled spaces between cells in many animals. Link exchange surfaces to body cells.
Endotherms
animals use internal metabolic process as major heat source
Ectotherms
can produce some heat but not enough to elevate temperature
Vasodilation
widening of superficial blood vessels near body surface, result of nerve signals that relax the muscles of the vessel walls.
Vasoconstriction
reduces blood flow and heat transfer by decreasing the diameter of superficial vessels
Countercurrent exchange
transfer of heat or solutes between fluids that are flowing in opposite directions.
Bioenergetics
determines nutritional needs and is related to animal’s size, activity, and environment.
Metabolic rate
sum of all energy used in biochemical reactions over a given time interval.
Basal metabolic rate (BMR)
measured over a comfortable range that requires no generation or shedding of heat above the minimum.