Animals and the Environment: Form and Function

• Form and function I and II

• Biomes I

Key Concepts Overview

Animal Form and Function

• Correlation at Levels of Organization: Animal form and function are interconnected across all biological levels (cells -> tissues -> organs -> systems). Each level of organization has structures that perform specific roles vital for survival.

• Definition of Anatomy and Physiology:

  • Anatomy: Study of the biological form (structure) of organisms.

  • Physiology: Study of biological functions (mechanisms) that organisms perform.

Animal Nutrition

• Dietary Requirements: An animal’s diet must offer the following essential elements:

  • Chemical Energy: Energy needed for metabolic processes.

  • Organic Building Blocks: Needed for macromolecule synthesis.

  • Essential Nutrients: Such as vitamins and minerals, which cannot be synthesized by the body.

• Food Processing Stages:

  • Ingestion: Act of eating.

  • Digestion: Breakdown of food, either mechanically or chemically.

  • Absorption: Transport of digested nutrients into cells.

  • Elimination: Excretion of waste material.

Circulatory Systems

• Purpose: Circulatory systems facilitate the transport of nutrients and gases between exchange surfaces and the body cells.

• Examples:

  • Simple organisms (like cnidarians) can utilize diffusion due to small size.

  • Larger animals have complex circulatory systems to support larger body volume and metabolic rates.

Exchange with the Environment

• Material Exchange: Cells must exchange nutrients, waste products, and gases, with the exchange rate proportional to surface area, while the amount of material exchanged is proportional to cell volume.

Gas Exchange

• Occurs across specialized respiratory surfaces tailored to the organism's environment.

• Various adaptations include gills in aquatic animals and lungs in terrestrial animals.

Immune Response

• Distinction between Innate Immunity (general defense) and Adaptive Immunity (specific defense) enables varied responses to pathogens:

  • Innate Immunity: Recognizes traits shared by groups of pathogens.

  • Adaptive Immunity: Provides pathogen-specific recognition through specialized receptors.

Osmoregulation

• Balancing water and solute levels: Osmoregulators maintain homeostasis in varying environments (marine vs. freshwater). Common strategies include:

  • Osmoregulator: Organism maintains a stable internal osmolality.

  • Osmoconformer: Organism's internal osmotic pressure equals its environment.

Reproductive Strategies

• Asexual vs. Sexual Reproduction: Each strategy has respective costs and benefits.

  • Asexual: Faster population growth but less genetic diversity.

  • Sexual: Increased genetic variation but requires more energy and time to find mates.

Biomes

• Climate and Ecology: Latitude, seasonality, and disturbances affect the distribution of the world's biomes.

• Main Terrestrial Biomes Include:

  • Tropical forests

  • Northern coniferous forests

  • Savannas

  • Deserts

  • Arctic tundras

• Biome Characteristics: Each biome has distinct climatic characteristics that influence the ecosystem functions and types of flora and fauna present.

Learning Outcomes

Basic Principles of Animal Form and Function I

1. Define anatomy and physiology; discuss common animal challenges.

2. Explain how size, shape, and complexity influence material exchange.

3. List major dietary needs for animals.

4. Describe diverse feeding and nutrient absorption mechanisms.

5. Understand circulatory system functions and examples in different organisms.

Basic Principles of Animal Form and Function II

1. Define gas exchange and types of respiratory systems.

2. Differentiate between innate and adaptive immune responses.

3. Define and discuss osmoregulation, and compare marine and freshwater fish.

4. Discuss forms of nitrogenous waste and their physiological implications.

Biosphere and Biomes

1. Define key ecological terms: Biosphere, Ecosystem, and Biome.

2. Describe how solar radiation affects climates.

3. Understand the influence of local bodies of water on climate.

4. Identify and characterize the major terrestrial biomes of the globe.