Regulation
coordination and control of body systems; nervous system involves electrochemical messages (neurotransmitters) and endocrine system involves chemical signals (hormones)
Gills
used for gas exchange in many aquatic species; grow larger to increase surface area for gas exchange
Interstitial fluid
site of exchange between blood and body cells
Epithelial tissue
lines outer surfaces and exchange surfaces in multicellular organisms
Muscle tissue
contractions involve interactions between actin and myosin
Cardiac muscle
striated and had intercalated disks
Negative feedback
returns a variable to a normal range like a thermostat; ex: insulin produced in response to increased blood sugar levels
Positive feedback
amplifies a stimulus; ex: contractions during labor increase in intensity and frequency until delivery
Homeostasis
maintaining a constant internal environment
Ectotherm
animals that gain heat from external sources; include most invertebrates, fishes, amphibians, and reptiles; they are more likely to survive long periods of food deprivation than endotherms because they do not invest much energy in temperature regulation
Endotherm
animals that generate heat by metabolism; include birds and mammals; at a disadvantage in locations that have limited food sources
Hypothalamus
temperature regulating center of vertebrates
Metabolic rate
amount of energy an animal uses in a unit of time; can be determined by animal’s heat loss, amount of oxygen consumed or carbon dioxide produced, and measuring energy content of food consumed and energy lost in waste products
Ingestion
process of obtaining food
Complete digestive system
allows for specialized regions with special functions
Essential nutrients
materials that an animal cannot assemble from simpler organic molecules
Carbohydrates
main source of food energy; when digested, absorbed directly into the bloodstream
Proteins
breakdown into amino acids; needed in the diet because they serve a variety of functions and organisms’ bodies do not store excess proteins
Fats
breakdown into fatty acids and glycerol; when digested, most absorbed fat enters the lymphatic system before entering the blood
Hydrolysis
using water molecules to break bonds; used for digestion of nutrients
Mechanical digestion
break down food into smaller pieces to increase surface area for chemical digestion
Peristalsis
smooth, wavelike contractions of the digestive system that begins in the esophagus
Stomach
location where food is stored until digestion; highly acidic environment
Small intestine
secretin is released to increase flow of bicarbonate ions from the pancreas so stomach acid in food can be neutralized
Villi
found lining the small intestine to increase surface area for absorption of nutrients; covered in microvilli that also increase surface area
Mucins
glycoproteins released by salivary glands that make food slippery so it slides through digestive system easily
Bile
produced by the liver, stored in the gallbladder; emulsify fats in the duodenum
Intestinal bacteria
needed to assist with digestion of certain foods and production of certain vitamins such as vitamin K
Dentition
analysis of teeth shape to determine what kind of foods the animal eats; sharp, scissor-like teeth would tear at flesh; large flat molars would chew plants
Open circulatory system
organs are bathed in blood because blood is not always confined to blood vessels; has lower pressure than found in closed circulatory systems
Blood flow
superior and inferior vena cava to right atrium to right ventricle out pulmonary artery to lung to get oxygen; from lung to left atrium to left ventricle through aorta to the body to deliver oxygen
Sinoatrial node
pacemaker of the heart; determines rate and timing of cardiac muscle contractions
Velocity of blood flow
lowest in capillaries because total cross-sectional area of capillaries is greater than total cross-sectional area of any other part of the circulatory system
Lymphatic vessels
returns fluid that leaks out of capillary beds ; when blocked, more fluid will accumulate in interstitial areas
Hemoglobin
pigment in red blood cells that binds to oxygen to transport it throughout the body; oxygen must cross into and out of the cells lining the lungs, into and out of endothelial cells lining an alveolar capillary, and finally into a red blood cell to bind to hemoglobin
Blood clotting
involve cell fragments called platelets; a cascade of complex reactions that converts prothrombin to thrombin which then converts inactive fibrinogen to fibrin
Countercurrent exchange
blood flows in opposite direction to water passing over the gills; evident in flow of water across gills of a fish and blood within the gills
Bird breathing
air passes through lungs in one direction only; gas exchange occurs during inhalation and exhalation to meet metabolic demands of flight
Human breathing
regulated by involuntary mechanisms; control center in the medulla oblongata regulates rate in response to pH changes in cerebrospinal fluid; blood pH falls due to rising carbon dioxide levels
Carbon dioxide
enzyme in red blood cells converts carbon dioxide into bicarbonate ions