Thermal energy

What is thermal energy?

Thermal energy is the internal energy present in a system due to its temperature, which can influence animal behavior and physiology.

What is the role of thermal receptors in animals?

Thermal receptors allow animals to detect heat energy, facilitating adaptations for survival.

What is the range of tolerable temperatures for animals?

Animals can typically tolerate temperatures ranging from 0 to 45 degrees Celsius.

What is thermoregulation?

Thermoregulation is the process by which animals maintain their body temperature, primarily regulated through negative feedback pathways.

How do thermal receptors affect physiological responses?

Signals from thermal receptors triggered by changes in temperature can generate physiological responses like increased cellular respiration or behavioral responses like moving to a warmer environment.

How do enzymes relate to thermal energy?

Enzymes have specific thermal ranges for optimal performance, which can significantly affect an animal's activity levels.

What is a dorsal notochord?

A dorsal notochord is a supportive structure along the dorsal axis of an animal, which helps provide support and may evolve into a spinal column composed of vertebrae.

How are vertebrates classified based on thermal energy utilization?

Vertebrates are classified as ectothermic (thermal conformers) or homeothermic (thermal regulators) based on how they harness and utilize thermal energy.

What is the difference between ectothermic and homeothermic animals?

Ectothermic animals primarily conform to environmental temperatures, while homeothermic animals maintain a relatively constant internal body temperature regardless of environmental conditions.

How does temperature affect the speed of a lizard?

A lizard's sprinting speed decreases in lower external temperatures and increases when external temperatures rise.

What are the four methods by which animals gain or lose heat?

Animals gain or lose heat through conduction, convection, radiation, and evaporation.

What is conduction in terms of thermal energy transfer?

Conduction is the flow of heat between atoms or molecules in direct contact.

What is convection in thermal energy transfer?

Convection is the transfer of heat from a body to a fluid (such as air or water) that passes over its surface.

What is radiation in the context of heat transfer?

Radiation is the transfer of heat energy as electromagnetic radiation.

What is evaporation in relation to heat transfer?

Evaporation is the heat transfer process requiring energy to change a liquid into a gas.

What is core temperature?

Core temperature is the temperature within the central core of the body, which includes the abdominal and thoracic organs, the central nervous system, and skeletal muscles.

How does surface area affect diffusion and transportation of molecules?

A larger surface area allows for more efficient diffusion and transportation of molecules across membranes.

What happens to the surface area to volume ratio as size increases?

The surface area to volume ratio decreases exponentially as size increases.

What are ways that an animal can elevate their body temperature?

Animals can elevate their body temperature by increasing physical activity, consuming more food, moving to warmer areas, increasing insulation (e.g., saturated fat reserves), and raising their metabolic rate.

What are endotherms?

Endotherms, or warm-blooded animals, regulate their heat production and can maintain a constant internal body temperature regardless of external conditions, examples include birds, mammals, and some reptiles.

How do endotherms maintain their body temperature?

Endotherms maintain their body temperature by regulating the amount of heat generated by internal oxidative reactions and heat exchanged with their environment.

What happens to the metabolic rate of endotherms in cold weather?

Cold weather increases the energy and metabolic rate of endotherms, allowing them to maintain their body temperature.

What are ectotherms?

Ectotherms, or cold-blooded animals, have lower metabolic demands and their internal body temperature conforms to the environmental temperature, such as in fish, amphibians, and most reptiles.

How do ectotherms regulate their body temperature?

Ectotherms regulate their body temperature by controlling the rate of heat exchange with the environment through behavioral and physiological mechanisms.

What is torpor?

Torpor is a temporary state of reduced metabolic activity and energy conservation that may last a few days or just through a night until conditions improve.

What is hibernation?

Hibernation is a longer and deeper state of inactivity that animals enter in response to cold temperatures or food scarcity.

What is estivation?

Estivation is a state of inactivity and reduced metabolic rate that animals enter when temperatures rise and water becomes scarce.

How does body mass affect metabolic rate in animals?

As body mass increases, the metabolic rate generally slows or decreases, causing larger animals to require less energy relative to their size.

What happens to surface area to volume ratio as size increases?

As size increases, volume increases faster than surface area, which can impact heat exchange and metabolic efficiency.

What is the most random energy in the universe?

Heat or thermal energy

What increases faster surface area or volume

Volume increases faster than surface area as size increases.

Proportionally to metabolic rate

as mass size increases, metabolic rate per unit of volume decreases.