AVS 1113 Exam 1: Part 1 study

Q: What is Darwin's theory of evolution by natural selection?

A: Organisms with traits that help them survive and reproduce are more likely to pass those traits to their offspring, causing populations to change over generations.

Q: What is taxonomy?

A: The science of naming and classifying organisms.

Q: What are the 7 levels of classification, from broadest to most specific?

A: Kingdom → Phylum → Class → Order → Family → Genus → Species

Q: What is the mnemonic for remembering the classification order?

A: King Philip Came Over For Good Soup.

Q: What are the major traits of Kingdom Animalia?

A: Animals are multicellular, eukaryotic, heterotrophic organisms that generally can move and respond to their environment.

Q: What are the major traits of Phylum Chordata?

A: Chordates have a notochord, dorsal hollow nerve cord, pharyngeal slits, and a post-anal tail at some point in their development.

Q: What are the 5 animal classes discussed in the course?

Fish, amphibians, reptiles, birds, and mammals.

Q: What are the major traits of fish?

Aquatic animals that generally breathe through gills and are ectothermic.

Q: What are the major traits of amphibians?

A: Ectothermic animals that generally spend part of their lives in water and part on land.

Q: What are the major traits of reptiles?

A: Ectothermic vertebrates with scales and adaptations that allow them to live primarily on land.

Q: What are the major traits of birds?

Warm-blooded vertebrates with feathers, wings, beaks, and hard-shelled eggs.

Q: What are the major traits of mammals?

Warm-blooded animals with hair/fur that produce milk for their young.

Q: Give an example of a fish, amphibian, reptile, bird, and mammal.

Fish—goldfish; amphibian—frog; reptile—snake; bird—parrot; mammal—dog.

Q: How is the dog suspected of being domesticated?

A: Wolves likely began associating with humans, with the more tolerant animals benefiting from living near human settlements. Over generations, humans and these animals developed a relationship that eventually led to domestication.

Q: How is the cat suspected of being domesticated?

A: Cats likely began associating with early human agricultural settlements because rodents were attracted to stored grain. Humans benefited from cats controlling rodents, eventually leading to domestication.

Q: What is a zoonosis/zoonotic disease?

A: A disease that can be transmitted from animals to humans.

Q: What is a parasite?

A: An organism that lives on or within another host organism and gets its sustenance from the host.

Q: What are common zoonotic diseases discussed in the slides?

A: Roundworms, hookworms, toxoplasmosis, ringworm, avian chlamydiosis, cat-scratch fever, salmonellosis, streptococcal infections, leptospirosis, and rabies.

Q: How can you prevent transmission of roundworms and hookworms?

A: Avoid contact with feces-contaminated soil/surfaces, keep play areas and sandboxes clean/covered, and wash hands after handling animals or feces.

Q: How can toxoplasmosis be prevented?

A: Avoid undercooked contaminated meat, wash hands after handling raw meat, clean litter boxes daily, wear gloves when cleaning them, and pregnant women should avoid cleaning litter boxes.

Q: How is ringworm transmitted from animals to humans?

A: Through direct contact with an infected pet or indirectly through contaminated objects/surfaces.

Q: How can avian chlamydiosis be prevented?

A: Use a mask/protective shield when handling birds or cleaning cages and purchase birds from reliable sources with testing and quarantine of new birds.

Q: What is cat-scratch fever and how can you prevent it?

A: It is a Bartonella henselae infection associated with cat bites or scratches. Prevent bites/scratches and clean injuries promptly; bites should be evaluated by a doctor.

Q: How can salmonellosis be prevented?

A: Use proper sanitation and husbandry, wear gloves when handling animals, and wash your hands afterward.

Q: How is leptospirosis transmitted from dogs?

A: Through contact with infected dog urine, including touching the mouth with unwashed hands or exposure of mucous membranes to urine.

Q: What percentage of dog bites and cat bites become infected?

A: About 5% of dog bites and 50% of cat bites.

Q: Why are cat bites especially likely to become infected?

A: Their puncture wounds can be small and difficult to effectively irrigate.

Q: What should you do after an animal bite?

A: Clean the injury, determine the animal's rabies vaccination status, and seek medical care when appropriate—especially if rabies status cannot be determined.

Q: How is rabies tested for?

A: The slides state that the available test is post-mortem, meaning the animal's head/brain must be examined after death.

Q: What is the most common source of rabies exposure in Southern California?

A: Bats.

Q: What animals are common sources of human rabies exposure?

A: Bats, foxes, coyotes, skunks, bobcats, ferrets, and raccoons.

Q: What should you do if bitten by a potentially rabid animal?

A: Wash the area with soap and water and seek medical attention immediately.

Q: What tick-borne diseases are specifically discussed?

A: Rocky Mountain spotted fever and Lyme disease.

Q: How can pets contribute to human exposure to tick diseases?

A: An infected animal does not directly give the disease to humans, but it can carry a disease-bearing tick into the home or yard, where the tick can later bite a human.

Q: What are important safety practices when working around animals?

A: Wear appropriate protective equipment, closed-toe shoes, gloves when needed, wash hands frequently, prevent contamination, and follow proper chemical-handling procedures.

Q: What should you do when handling potentially dangerous chemicals?

A: Wear gloves and appropriate eye/face protection, follow the SDS, keep containers labeled, and dispose of chemicals properly.

Q: Why do people get pets?

A: Companionship, avoiding loneliness, for children, for sports/hobbies/work, and for the benefits pets can provide.

Q: Why are pets abandoned or surrendered to shelters?

A: They may not fit the owner, become less appealing as they age, cost too much, or require more time than the owner can manage.

Q: What causes pet overpopulation?

A: Unplanned mating, breeding for commercial purposes, and people breeding animals without considering the consequences.

Q: What are ways to decrease the number of pets in shelters?

A: Spay/neuter programs, adoption programs, pet-selection advice, behavior/training programs, partnerships between shelters/veterinarians/businesses, and encouraging people to view pets as family members.

Q: What should you consider before getting a pet?

A: Where to obtain it, available space, lifestyle, cost, future circumstances, whether the family agrees, personality, whether it is a fad/status symbol, and why you want the animal.

Q: What costs should be considered before getting a pet?

A: Purchase price, vaccinations, spay/neuter, food, toys, grooming, litter/bedding, veterinary care, insurance, breed-related medical problems, and licenses.

Q: How can pets affect people's health?

A: Being around or petting pets can lower blood pressure and heart rate, improve mood, help with loneliness, and encourage activity.

Q: What is a service dog?

A: A dog trained to perform specific tasks for a person with a disability, such as assisting a blind person, opening doors, turning switches on/off, pulling a wheelchair, or assisting with certain disabilities.

Q: What is a therapy dog?

A: A dog used to provide therapeutic benefits such as improving mood, reducing loneliness, motivating patients, and helping people become more mentally and physically active.

Q: What is the key difference between a service dog and a therapy dog?

A: A service dog performs trained tasks for a person with a disability, while a therapy dog provides therapeutic/emotional benefits to people

Q: What is the animal welfare position?

A: Animals should be treated humanely, including proper housing, nutrition, disease prevention/treatment, responsible care, handling, and humane euthanasia/slaughter. Animals can be used for human purposes as long as discomfort is minimized.

Q: What is the animal rights position?

A: Animals should have the same moral rights as humans and should not be exploited or used for food, clothing, entertainment, research, product testing, or other human purposes.

Q: When and where were the first U.S. laws protecting animals passed?

A: Massachusetts passed the first laws protecting farm animals from cruel treatment in 1641.

Q: When was the ASPCA founded, and by whom?

1866, in New York, by Henry Bergh.

Q: What was the ASPCA originally established for?

A: To care for the welfare of disabled horses and mules and save them from being abandoned.

Q: What is the Animal Welfare Act (AWA)?

A: A federal law regulating the treatment and handling of certain animals used in research, exhibition, commerce, and other covered purposes.

Q: Which agency enforces/oversees the Animal Welfare Act?

A: Animal and Plant Health Inspection Service (APHIS).

Q: Which animals are excluded from coverage under the AWA?

A: farm animals are used for food/fiber and birds, rats, and mice bred for research as excluded; the exact coverage has changed over time.

Q: What does the National Agricultural Library do in relation to the AWA?

A: It provides information and assistance concerning employee training, reducing/replacing animal use, preventing unintended duplication of research, and reducing animal pain and distress.

Q: What does California require regarding battery cages?

A: Battery cages are banned in California.

Q: What does California require regarding gestation crates for sows?

A: The crates must be large enough for sows to stand and move around.

Q: What are the 6 basic nutrient groups?

A: Water, carbohydrates, fats, proteins, vitamins, and minerals.

Q: What is the difference between an essential and non-essential nutrient/amino acid?

A: An essential nutrient must be supplied in the diet because the animal cannot produce enough of it; a non-essential nutrient can be synthesized by the animal.

Q: How is energy stored in plants vs. animals?

A: Plants store energy primarily as carbohydrates, while animals store energy largely as body fat; carbohydrates can also be stored in animals as limited glycogen.

Q: Which nutrients provide energy in the diet?

A: Carbohydrates, fats, and proteins.

Q: What is the most essential nutrient?

A: Water. Animals can survive for extended periods without other nutrients but only a few days without water.

Q: Which nutrient contains the most concentrated energy?

A: Fat.

Q: What are proteins broken down into during digestion?

A: Primarily amino acids, which are absorbed and used to build new proteins.

Q: What is the general purpose of digestion?

A: To break large, complex nutrients into simpler forms that can be absorbed and used by cells.

Q: What is the general path food follows through the digestive tract?

A: Mouth → esophagus → stomach/rumen/gizzard → small intestine → cecum/ceca → colon → feces.

Q: What animals are examples of ruminants?

A: Cattle, sheep, goats, elk, deer, giraffes, buffalo, camels, and antelope.

Q: What are the four compartments of a ruminant stomach?

A: Rumen → reticulum → omasum → abomasum.

Q: What happens in the rumen?

A: Microorganisms break down feed and help produce amino acids and vitamins; food can later be regurgitated as cud.

Q: What happens in the reticulum?

A: It works with the rumen in forming cud and can hold foreign objects.

Q: What happens in the omasum?

A: It removes large amounts of water as food moves toward the abomasum.

Q: What is the abomasum?

A: The true stomach, functioning similarly to the stomach of a single-stomached animal.

Q: What happens in the stomach of a non-ruminant?

A: Food is mixed into chyme; proteins are partially broken down while carbohydrates and fats remain mostly unchanged when leaving the stomach.

Q: What happens in the small intestine?

A: Most digestion and absorption of carbohydrates, fats, and proteins occurs there.

Q: What does the large intestine do?

A: Absorbs water, adds mucus, and shapes material for passage out of the body.

Q: What is unique about horse and rabbit digestion?

A: They have simple stomachs but can digest roughage in a large cecum, although less efficiently than true ruminants.

Q: What is unique about horses' digestion?

A: Horses do not have a gall bladder; bile is secreted directly into the duodenum from the liver.

Q: What is unique about rabbits' digestion?

A: Rabbits practice coprophagy—they eat their feces because digestion is not complete and food does not remain in the digestive tract long enough.

Q: What is the digestive path through a bird?

A: Esophagus → crop → proventriculus → ventriculus/gizzard → small intestine → ceca → large intestine → cloaca.

Q: What does the crop do?

A: It is an enlargement of the esophagus that serves as a storage area.

Q: What does the gizzard do?

A: It grinds and crushes food using strong muscular action, functioning somewhat like teeth.

Q: What is the cloaca?

A: A common junction for the bird's digestive, urinary, and reproductive systems.