Animal Bodies & Homeostasis

These flashcards cover key vocabulary terms related to animal bodies and homeostasis as discussed in the lecture.

Homeostasis

The process of maintaining a relatively stable internal environment despite changes in external surroundings.

Epithelial Tissue

Tissue sheets comprised of densely-packed cells that cover the body, line organs, and form cavities.

Muscle Tissue

Tissue specialized for contraction to generate mechanical forces; includes skeletal, smooth, and cardiac muscle.

Nervous Tissue

Tissue made up of neurons that initiate and conduct electrical signals for communication throughout the body.

Connective Tissue

Tissues that connect, surround, anchor, and support other tissues; includes blood, bone, and adipose tissues.

Regulators

Animals that maintain internal body conditions different from the environment, requiring more energy.

Conformers

Animals whose internal body composition matches the environment, requiring less energy but limiting habitat.

Negative Feedback

A homeostatic control mechanism that reduces the intensity of the original stimulus.

Osmoregulators

Organisms that maintain stable ion concentrations and osmolarity regardless of environmental conditions.

Osmoconformers

Organisms whose internal osmolarity matches that of the environment.

Hox Genes

Genes that determine the proper development and spatial organization of body regions in bilateral animals.

Surface Area to Volume Ratio (SA/V)

A ratio that affects the exchange of materials; higher ratios facilitate better exchange.

Cell Communication

The process through which cells transmit signals, including localized paracrine signaling and long-distance hormonal signaling.

Feedback Mechanisms

Control mechanisms that regulate physiological processes, including both negative and positive feedback.

Thermoregulation

The process by which animals maintain their body temperature within a narrow range.

Endothermic Animals

Animals that maintain a stable internal temperature through metabolic processes.

Ectothermic Animals

Animals whose body temperature fluctuates with environmental temperatures.

Countercurrent Heat Exchange

A thermoregulation mechanism that conserves body heat by transferring heat between fluids moving in opposite directions.

Anticipatory Changes

Physiological changes that occur before an environmental change, such as salivation when seeing or smelling food.