Abstract:
It is important for organisms to maintain homeostasis in order to survive. An integral component of homeostasis is thermal regulation. Two ways organisms deal with thermoregulation is through behavioral and morphological adaptations. This experiment explores the behavioral adaptation of burrowing and the morphological adaptation of adding feathers in a model organism. It is predicted that burrowing and the addition of feathers will both help maintain homeostasis through thermoregulation. This study showed that the morphological change of adding feathers aided in thermoregulation, where as burrowing did not. Burrowing might not have proved advantageous in this experiment because of flaws in experimental design.
Introduction:
Organisms attempt to keep their selves in homeostasis in order to maintain their livelihood. A major factor to homeostasis is loss of heat or heat exhaustion. The thermal environment in which an organism lives has a tremendous impact on maintaining its homeostasis. There are numerous things that an organism can do to adjust to its thermal environment. For example, an organism can move to a different microenvironment that would keep it warmer or colder. Another adaptation is that an organism can use coating such as fur or feathers to help insulate. The purpose of this experiment is to explore a behavioral and morphological change that an organism can make in order to adapt to their thermal environment. It is proposed that if an organism burrows or is covered with leaves then it will retain heat more efficiently. It is also proposed that if an organism is covered with feathers, it will retain heat more efficiently than a naked organism. This is thought because insulators, whether l...
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...ich the burrowing Peeps were buried recently experienced a rain, which effectively lowered the surrounding ground temperature. Also, the sun was out which could have warmed the naked open Peeps. Issues such as this could be resolved by following up with a more extensive and precisely executed study.
This study could be followed up by using living organisms and studying the effect of being naked or covered in feathers/fur on thermal regulation. A living model organism could more accurately display the affects of morphological changes. There could also be improvements and follow ups to the behavioral adaptations study, in looking into other behavioral adaptations or using more ideal conditions to test the adaptations. This work is important because it shows how organisms across many different types of environments are able to regulate their body temperatures.
..., Department of Zoology, Miami University, Oxford, OH, Available from Journal of Insect Physiology. (46 (2000) 655–661)Retrieved from http://www.units.muohio.edu/cryolab/publications/documents/IrwinLee00.pdf
Williams, C. T., Goropashnaya, A. V., Buck, C. L., Fedorov, V. B., Kohl, F., Lee, T. N., and Barnes, B. M. (2011). Hibernating above the permafrost: effects of ambient temperature and season on expression of metabolic genes in liver and brown adipose tissue of arctic ground squirrels. J Experi Biol. 214, 1300-1306.
1. We hypothesize that the metabolic rate for the cricket and the cockroach will be different when the two animals experience physical stress and temperature changes.
An adaptation is the characteristic of an organism that makes it likely to survive. There are three types of adaptations: structural, physiological, and behavioural. Structural adaptations are physical features, physiological adaptations are related to the internal body functions, while behavioural adaptations refer to how organisms respond to stimuli (Beavis 2014). This paper will discuss some adaptations that help koalas and eucalyptus trees survive in their environments.
In conclusion the animals which exist in the extreme climates of the world have adapted to be able to live well in these habitats and will probably stay living in these habitats for a long time to come.
Calyptorhynchus banksii, or red-tailed black-cockatoo, has coped with extreme variations in its environment. Much like the plant species of Australia, the red-tailed black-cockatoo has evolved physiological and anatomical adaptations that have allowed it to survive in changing surroundings. One of the most prevalent adaptations was that seen in the beak apparatus. Changes in the beak allowed the cockatoos to consume the newly evolved sources of food. The metabolic requirements of the cockatoos and the availability of food are also forces that have influenced the beak apparatus and the distribution of red-tailed black-cockatoos throughout Australia.
In our body’s we have thousands upon thousands of cells that work together to maintain the whole structure. Although cells accomplish different roles, they all are comparable in their metabolic conditions. Preserving a continuous inner environment with what the cells require to survive like sugar, minerals, oxygen and waste removal is essential for the cells and host well-being. The diverse process that the body controls its inner environment are referred to as homeostasis. Homeostasis refers to maintaining a stable environment in reaction to environmental changes. The body’s inner environment requires constant observation to maintain a stable inner environment this way if conditions occur they can be adjusted. Homeostatic regulation is the adjustment of systems in the body. “Homeostatic regulation involves three parts or mechanisms: 1) the receptor, 2) the control center and 3) the effector.” (Wikibooks, para. 2)
Australian desert animals are exposed to such conditions as scarcity of food, increased body temperature, and dehydration. However, through behavioral, physiological, and anatomical adaptations, they can survive in the harsh outback. What specific functions allow desert animals to conserve water and reduce heat gain while maintaining homeostasis? How is metabolism affected? For many Australian animals, enzymes or cells are altered and hormones adjusted. Australian Western chestnut mice exhibit a specific physiological adaptation of recent discovery. These mice are able to regain glycogen through endogenous carbon sources after periods of exercise, thereby making up for scarce food resources. Behaviorally, poikilotherms adapt to harsh desert conditions through quiescence, or inactivity during the day, and panting or licking for evaporative cooling. What other seemingly ordinary ways have Australian animals allowed for their survival? Research explains how Australian animals have adapted, such that their physiology and lifestyles prevent susceptibility to harsh desert conditions.
“The skin of amphibians is water permeable, well supplied with glands, and often colorful, with the colors and patterns of many salamanders and anurans rivaling those of brightly colored birds. It performs many functions. It protects against abrasion and pathogens, serves as a respiratory membrane, perhaps marginally so in caecilians, absorbs and releases water, provides some dry-land species during droughts with a water-loss-resistant cocoon, and through color change (in some species) a...
Dudley, Robert. "The Evolutionary Physiology of Animal Flight: Paleobiological and Present Perspectives". Annual Review of Physiology. 2000. 63:135-55. 27 Aug 2007 http://arjournals.annualreviews.org
According to Darwin and his theory on evolution, organisms are presented with nature’s challenge of environmental change. Those that possess the characteristics of adapting to such challenges are successful in leaving their genes behind and ensuring that their lineage will continue. It is natural selection, where nature can perform tiny to mass sporadic experiments on its organisms, and the results can be interesting from extinction to significant changes within a species.
and support, allows us to manipulate our surroundings and - due to its high metabolic activity - produces heat.” (study.com-Dec 2014)
Homeostasis is how the body keeps situations inside it the same. Scientists describe it as the keeps a continuous internal environment. Two examples of things that the body keeps the same are:
Gould, Edwin, George McKay, and David Kirshner. Encyclopedia of Mammals. San Francisco, CA: Fog City, 2003. Print.
The polar bear has a long, narrower head and nose, and small ears. The polar bear has coat that appears white but, each individual hair is actually a clear and hollow. This helps the polar bear keep warm. The polar bear's coat helps it blend in with its snowy surroundings, this adaptation helps the Polar Bear hide while hunting. The polar bear's front legs are slightly pigeon-toed, and fur covers the bottoms of its paws. These adaptations help the polar bear keep them from slipping on ice.