Thermoregulation, Osmoregulation & Excretory, Reproduction & Development Concepts

This set of flashcards covers key concepts related to thermoregulation, osmoregulation, excretory systems, and reproduction and development in animals, aiding in exam preparation.

Thermoregulation

The process by which animals maintain an optimal body temperature.

Homeostasis

Keeping internal conditions stable despite external changes.

Negative feedback

A mechanism that reverses a change to maintain homeostasis.

Heat gain

Sources of heat increase in the body, such as metabolism and radiation.

Heat loss

Mechanisms by which heat is lost, including convection and evaporation.

Endotherm

Organisms that generate most body heat internally, e.g., birds and mammals.

Ectotherm

Organisms that primarily depend on external sources for body heat, e.g., reptiles and amphibians.

Advantage of endothermy

Ability to remain active in cold environments.

Disadvantage of endothermy

High energy and food requirements.

Advantage of ectothermy

Low energy and food requirements.

Disadvantage of ectothermy

Activity levels depend largely on environmental temperature.

Behavioral thermoregulation

Adjusting behaviors, such as basking, to maintain body temperature.

Countercurrent heat exchange

A system that conserves heat by having warm and cold blood flow in opposite directions.

Hypothermia

Dangerously low body temperature that impairs normal functioning.

Torpor

Temporary reduction in metabolism and body temperature to conserve energy.

Hibernation

Long-term seasonal torpor lasting weeks or months.

Osmosis

Movement of water across a semipermeable membrane from low to high solute concentration.

Hypertonic solution

A solution with a higher concentration of solutes than another.

Hypotonic solution

A solution with a lower concentration of solutes than another.

Isotonic solution

A solution with equal solute concentrations inside and outside a cell.

Water loss

Mechanisms by which animals lose water, including urine and evaporation.

Osmoregulator

An organism that actively maintains internal solute and water balance.

Osmoconformer

An organism whose internal solute concentration matches its environment.

Nephron

The functional unit of the kidney responsible for filtering blood and producing urine.

Bowman's capsule

The part of the nephron that encloses the glomerulus and collects filtrate.

ADH

A hormone that regulates water reabsorption in the kidneys.

Nitrogenous waste

Waste products of metabolism, including ammonia, urea, and uric acid.

Ammonia

A highly toxic nitrogenous waste that requires large amounts of water for excretion.

Urea

Less toxic than ammonia, it requires moderate amounts of water for excretion.

Uric acid

Low toxicity waste that requires little water to excrete, often excreted as a paste.

Freshwater cells

Cells that are hypertonic relative to their surrounding environment.

Freshwater fish adaptation

Produce dilute urine and actively take up salts to maintain homeostasis.

Protonephridia

Excretory structures in some invertebrates, like flatworms, used for water regulation.

Metanephridia

Excretory structures found in annelids, collecting coelomic fluid for waste removal.

Antennal glands

Excretory organs in freshwater arthropods.

Osmoregulation in sharks

Maintaining isotonic body fluids with seawater by retaining urea.

Marine fish osmoregulation

Drinking seawater and excreting excess salts through gills.

Salt glands

Specialized structures in marine birds and reptiles that excrete excess salt.

Desert mammals adaptations

Includes concentrated urine and nocturnal behavior to conserve water.

Malpighian tubules

Insect excretory structures that aid in waste removal and water reabsorption.

Asexual reproduction advantage

Fast reproduction without needing a mate.

Asexual reproduction disadvantage

Low genetic diversity.

Sexual reproduction advantage

High genetic diversity suitable for changing environments.

Sexual reproduction disadvantage

Slower reproduction requiring more energy and a mate.

Gemmulation

Asexual reproduction through internal buds forming new individuals, seen in sponges.

Budding

A form of asexual reproduction where new individuals form from an outgrowth of the parent.

Fragmentation

Asexual reproduction where the body breaks into pieces, regenerating to form new individuals.

Parthenogenesis

Development of an embryo from an unfertilized egg.

Gynogenesis

A reproductive process where sperm triggers egg development without contributing genetic material.

Monoecious organisms

Species with both male and female reproductive organs in one individual.

Dioecious organisms

Species with separate male and female individuals.

Internal fertilization

Fertilization that occurs inside the female's body, offering protection to gametes.

External fertilization

Fertilization occurring outside the female's body, often in water.

Cloacal kiss

Method by which birds achieve internal fertilization without a penis.

Internal vs external development

Internal: embryo develops within the parent; external: develops in an egg outside the parent.

Polyspermy block

Mechanism preventing multiple sperm from fertilizing one egg.

Developmental stages order

The correct order is zygote → morula → blastula → gastrula.

Blastopore in protostomes

Becomes the mouth during development.

Blastopore in deuterostomes

Becomes the anus during development.

Genotypic sex determination

Sex determination based on genes located on chromosomes.

Sex determination in mammals

The male determines the offspring's sex through the sperm's chromosomes.

Sex determination in birds

Determined by the female's egg, with females ZW and males ZZ.

Temperature-dependent sex determination

In egg-laying reptiles, incubation temperature affects the sex of the offspring.

Population sex ratio influence

Some species can change sex based on the sex ratio in their population.

Sex change cues in fish

Size and age can trigger a female fish to become male.

Bee sex determination

Workers are diploid and sterile, drones are haploid and fertile; the queen is diploid and fertile.

Amniota group

Vertebrates adapted to land with an amniotic egg, including reptiles, birds, and mammals.

Oviparous

Animals that lay eggs developing outside the body, such as birds.

Ovoviviparous

Eggs retained inside the body until hatching; young are born live.

Viviparous

Embryos developing inside the parent and being born live, often with placentation.

Placental vs marsupial mammals

Placental mammals have a complex placenta; marsupials have shorter gestation and use pouches.