Module 1

Animal physiology

The study of how animals work (function).

Integrated function

The coordinated operation of various biological systems to maintain an organism's life.

Aristotle's contribution to physiology

Emphasized the relationship between structure and function, grouping organisms into blood/no-blood categories.

Erasistratus

The father of physiology who suggested the heart was a pump and applied physics laws to study human function.

Cardiac tricuspid valve

The valve in the heart that controls blood flow from the right atrium to the right ventricle.

Galen

An accomplished physiologist of antiquity who used systematic experiments to determine body functions.

Ibn al-Nafis

Correctly described pulmonary circulation and confirmed that the heart acts as a pump.

William Harvey's contribution to physiology

Completed the description of the circulatory system and speculated on the existence of capillaries.

Antoine Lavoiser

Identified oxygen and hydrogen, demonstrating the role of oxygen in combustion and aerobic metabolism.

Claude Bernard

Suggested the use of 'blind' experiments and described hemoglobin's role in oxygen transport.

Millieu interieur

The internal environment of an organism that differs from the external environment.

Walter Cannon's contributions

Described the fight or flight response and introduced the concept of homeostasis.

The August Krogh Principle

For every biological problem, there is an animal that can be conveniently studied.

Metazoan

An animal that is a eukaryote and multicellular; not all eukaryotes are metazoans.

Selective advantages of multicellularity

Includes adaptation to changing environments and maintenance of homeostasis.

Functions of volume in animals

Greater volume of cells leads to increased energy metabolism and heat production.

Functions of surface area

Involves respiration, absorption, and the capacity for heat exchange with the environment.

Colonial Choanoflagellate

Closest living relatives to metazoans, existing in small, simple colonies.

Phenotype

The physical expression of a genotype, influenced by the environment.

Acclimation vs. Acclimatization

Acclimation: controlled variable changes in lab; Acclimatization: natural environmental variations.

Sexual reproduction in animals

Allows for genetic variation, enabling adaptability to climate and ecosystem changes. All animals sexually reproduce.

Asexual reproduction

Produces identical clones of the parent organism. Some animals can asexually reproduce.

Adaptation

Changes in phenotype over time; not all changes are due to adaptation.

Comparative Physiology

Advances veterinary and human medicine, and aids in species conservation.