Oxygen Deficit Flashcards
(14 cards)
What environments have low oxygen levels?
High altitudes, underwater, underground, or stagnant water.
Define hypoxia, anoxia, and hypercapnia.
Hypoxia = low oxygen; Anoxia = no oxygen; Hypercapnia = excess CO2.
Why does cold temperature help animals survive hypoxia?
It reduces metabolic rate and oxygen demand.
What are aquatic adaptations to low oxygen?
Large gill surface area, high-affinity hemoglobin, efficient ventilation, and anaerobic metabolism.
What is an oxyregulator?
An animal that maintains oxygen consumption over a range of partial pressures.
What is an oxyconformer?
An animal whose oxygen consumption drops as ambient oxygen declines.
What helps birds fly at high altitude?
Unidirectional airflow, crosscurrent exchange, high-affinity hemoglobin, and increased lung/capillary capacity.
What makes bar-headed geese special?
They have extremely high-affinity hemoglobin, large lungs, and very efficient oxygen delivery.
Why are subterranean environments low in O2 and high in CO2?
Limited air exchange and accumulation of CO2 from respiration.
How are blind cave fish adapted to hypoxia?
They have high-affinity hemoglobin and increased blood volume.
What are naked mole rat adaptations to underground life?
Low metabolic rate, CO2 tolerance, and ability to use fructose metabolism during anoxia.
What oxygen stores do diving animals use?
Hemoglobin (blood), myoglobin (muscles), and lungs (limited use during dive).
Why is lung oxygen not preferred during a dive?
Lungs collapse under pressure, and animals often exhale before diving to avoid buoyancy and nitrogen buildup
What are diving adaptations in marine mammals and birds?
Increased myoglobin, bradycardia, selective vasoconstriction, and reduced metabolism.
