Exam 3 bios 340

Poikilotherm

An organism whose body temperature varies with the temperature of its environment.

Mesonephritic kidneys

Type of kidney found in some lower vertebrates that plays a role in excretion.

Hypo-osmotic

A solution that has a lower concentration of solutes compared to another solution.

Countercurrent gas exchange

A mechanism of gas exchange where water flows in the opposite direction to blood flow in the gills, maximizing oxygen absorption.

Corotid rete

A vascular structure that facilitates heat exchange, often to cool the brain in animals.

Anthropogenic factors

Human-induced changes or factors that impact the environment.

Eelpout

A type of fish known to inhabit cold environments, often studied in relation to temperature variations.

Stenothermic

Describes organisms that can only tolerate a narrow range of temperatures.

Gigantotherm

An organism that maintains body temperature through its large body size.

C4 Photosynthesis

A type of photosynthesis in which plants fix carbon dioxide into a four-carbon compound to minimize water loss.

Gular fluttering

A thermoregulatory behavior in birds that allows for cooling by evaporative water loss.

Brown fat

A type of adipose tissue in mammals that is specialized for heat production.

Notothenoid fish

A group of Antarctic fish known for their unique antifreeze proteins.

Endothermic homeotherms

Organisms that maintain a constant body temperature through metabolic heat production.

Bathypelagic fish

Fishes that live in the deep sea, usually characterized by adaptations to low light and high pressure.

Thermoregulation

The process by which an organism regulates its body temperature.

Integument

The outer layer of an organism, often serving as protection and playing a role in thermoregulation.

Bergman's rule

The principle that endothermic animals tend to be larger in colder environments compared to warmer ones.

Thermal neutral zone

The range of ambient temperatures where an endothermic animal does not need to expend energy to maintain its body temperature.

Symbiodinum sp.

A type of mutualistic algae that lives within coral tissues and provides energy through photosynthesis.

Xeric adaptations

Adaptations that enable organisms to survive in dry environments.

Oxygen consumption

The amount of oxygen used by an organism during metabolic processes.

Acclimatization

The process through which an organism adjusts to changes in its environment.

Thermoconformer

An organism that cannot regulate its body temperature and relies on the external environment.

Facultative heterotherm

An organism that can switch between ectothermy and endothermy based on environmental conditions.

Evaporative cooling

A physiological process that reduces body temperature through the loss of water from body surfaces.

Gills

Respiratory structures in aquatic organisms that facilitate gas exchange.