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Chapter 40 BASIC PRINCIPLES OF ANIMAL FORM AND FUNCTION Animals face common problems in their struggle to survive, e.g. need of oxygen and nourishment, excretion of wastes, and motility. Body structures are correlated to their function. Anatomy is the study of the structure of an organism. Physiology is the study of the functions an organism performs and of the chemical and physical processes involved. Physiology is explainable only in terms of the underlying anatomy. PHYSICAL LAWS AND ENVIRONMENT Physical laws and the environment constrain animal size and shape. Body plans and designs are fundamental aspects of form and function that significantly affect the way an animal interacts with its environment. The body plan of an animal results from a pattern of development programmed by the genome. Evolutionary convergence reflects different species adaptations to similar environments. Physical requirements constraints what natural selection can invent. Each cell of a multicellular animal must have access to an aqueous environment. ANIMAL FORM AND FUNCTION ARE CORRELATED AT ALL LEVELS OF ORGANIZATION. The large size of animals is due to the greater number cells they have. Multicellularity allows the organisms to be more diverse and the cells to become specialized A tissue is made of a group of closely associated, similar cells adapted to carry out specific functions. TISSUES Animal tissues are classified as epithelial, connective, muscle and nervous tissue.
1. Epithelial tissue (epithelium) consists of fitted tightly together to form a continuous layer or sheet. Very often the cells are riveted together by tight junctions. It covers body surfaces and lines cavities. It functions as barrier for protection against mechanical injury, loss of fluid and infection by microorganisms.
Epithelial tissues are also involved in absorption, secretion and sensation. The outer surface of this tissue is typically exposed because it lines cavities. The cell layer is attached to the underlying tissue by a noncellular membrane, the basement membrane , made of polysaccharides and fibers Epithelial cells may be organized or differentiated into epidermis (skin), membranes, glands and sensory receptors. Epithelial tissue may be simple, stratified or pseudostratified. Epithelial cells are cuboidal, columnar or squamous. Glands are made of epithelial cells specialized to secrete a substance, e.g. sweat, hormones, saliva, milk, enzymes. Epithelial membranes consist of a layer of epithelial cells and a layer of underlying connective tissue. Mucosas or mucous membranes line body cavities that open to the outside, e. g. digestive and respiratory track. The epithelial layer secretes mucus. Serous membranes line body cavities that do not open to the outside of the body. It consists of a simple squamous epithelium over a thin loose underlying connective tissue. The epithelial layer secretes a fluid that fills the cavity. E. g. pleural and pericardial membranes.
2. Connective tissue joins other tissues of the body, supports the body and its organs, and protects underlying organs. It consists of relatively few cells, separated by an intercellular substance called the matrix. Typically the intercellular substance consists of fibers made of proteins, scattered through a matrix, which may be liquid, solid or a thin gel made of polysaccharides. Different kinds of connective tissue will have different kinds of fibers and matrices. The nature and function of each kind of connective tissue is determined in part by the structure and properties of the intercellular substance. Intercellular substance contains... a. Collagen fibers made of the protein collagen , the most abundant protein in the body. Collagen fibers are wavy, flexible and resistant to stretching. Collagen has great tensile strength, and is the main component of cartilage, ligaments, tendons, bone and teeth.
Collagen is a fibrous protein that consists of three α-chains (which are not α-chains (which are not α-chains (which are not α-
helices), which form a rope-chains (which are not α-like triple helix, providing tensile strength to the
extracellular matrix.
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The functions of organ systems are interdependent. Many organs of vertebrates are suspended in body cavities by sheets of connective tissue called mesenteries. Mammals have a thoracic and an abdominal cavity separated by a muscle sheet called the diaphragm. INTRODUCTION TO THE BIOENERGETICS OF ANIMALS All organisms require chemical energy for growth, physiological processes, maintenance and repair, regulation and reproduction. The flow of energy through an animal or an ecosystem is called bioenergetics. Plants use light energy to make energy-chains (which are not α-rich organic molecules from water and carbon dioxide, and then use these molecules for fuel. They are autotrophs. Animals are heterotrophs and must eat energy-chains (which are not α-rich molecules to produce the energy needed to stay alive. Organic molecules in food must be digested and absorbed. Most of the absorbed molecules are used to generate ATP through the catabolic processes of cellular respiration and fermentation, to do cellular work. The remaining molecules are used in biosynthesis. Carbon skeletons are used to make the polymers necessary for cell growth, repair, reproduction, etc. Digestion, absorption cellular respiration, fermentation, cellular work and biosynthesis generate heat. The transfer of energy is never 100% efficient. Quantifying energy use The flow of energy through an animal sets the limits to the animal's behavior, growth, and reproduction. Metabolic rate is the amount of energy an animal uses in a unit of time. The sum of all the energy-chains (which are not α-requiring biochemical reactions occurring over a given time interval. Metabolic rate can be estimated by measuring the amount of heat lost by an animal, or the amount of oxygen consumed and carbon dioxide produced. The terms endotherm and ectotherm emphasizes the mechanism by which body temperature is determined. Birds and mammals are endothermic : their bodies are kept warm by heat generated by metabolism, and their body temperature must be maintained at a certain level to sustain life.
Endothermy is a high-chains (which are not α-energy strategy that permits intense, long-chains (which are not α-duration activity over a wide range of environmental temperatures. Fishes, amphibians, reptiles and invertebrates are ectothermic : their metabolic heat is not enough to maintain a constant body temperature. Ectothermy requires less energy than endothermy. Ectotherms cannot sustain intense activity over long periods of time. Ectotherms must rely on external sources of heat to maintain their body temperature. Metabolic rate per gram is inversely related to body size among similar animals. Animals adjust their metabolic rate as conditions change. Basal metabolic rate (BMR) is the amount of energy needed to maintain the body functions. Non-chains (which are not α-growing endotherm, at rest, with an empty stomach, and experiencing no stress. 1,600 to 1,800 cal/day for an adult male human. 1,300 to 1,500 cal/day for an adult female human. When energy input equals energy output, body weight remains constant. In ectotherms, body temperature changes with the temperature of the surroundings, and so does metabolic rate. The metabolic rate of a resting, fasting, non-chains (which are not α-stressed ectotherm is called its standard metabolic rate (SMR). Any activity beyond resting consumes energy beyond the basic and standard metabolic rate. Endotherms can sustain activity longer than ectotherms because of their respiration rate is about 10 times greater than that of ectotherms Different species of animals use the energy and materials in food in different ways, depending on their environment, behavior, size, and basic energy strategy of endothermy or ectothermy. In most cases, the largest amount of energy goes to the production of ATP, and relatively little amount goes to growth and reproduction. The energy required to sustain the BMR varies greatly from species to species. An animal's use of energy is partitioned between BMR (or SMR), activity, homeostasis, growth and reproduction. REGULATING THE INTERNAL ENVIRONMENT The interstitial fluid fills the spaces between cells and exchanges nutrients and wastes with blood contained in microscopic vessels called capillaries. The interstitial fluid constitutes the internal environment of an organism.
Animals spend a large amount of energy in maintaining a constant internal environment. THERMOREGULATION Thermoregulation is the process by which animals maintain an internal temperature within a tolerable range. Most biochemical and physiological processes are very sensitive to changes in body temperature. The terms endotherm and ectotherm emphasizes the mechanism by which body temperature is determined.
- Endotherm – any animal deriving majority of body heat from internal metabolism. a. energetically expensive b. generally capable of high levels of aerobic activity – e.g. distance running, flying, etc. c. involves adaptations for conserving body heat – e.g. fur, feathers
- Ectotherm – animals that routinely derive majority of body heat from their environment a. energetically less expensive – more energy goes to growth and reproduction b. slower at cold temperatures c. involves adaptations for maintaining physiological functions despite body temperature fluctuations – e.g. different enzymes that function at different temperatures, changes in lipid composition of cell membranes to maintain fluidity The terms homeotherm, poikilotherm and heterotherm emphasizes the nature of the variation of the body temperature.
- Homeotherm – body temperature held constant across range of environmental temperatures, e. g. birds and mammals.
- Poikilotherm – body temperature fluctuates with environment, e. g. fish, amphibians, reptiles and invertebrates.
- Heterotherm – animals that are facultative endothermic homeotherms, but don’t consistently maintain body temperatures, e. g. bees, bats. MODES OF HEAT EXCHANGE Radiation is the emission of electromagnetic waves by all objects warmer than absolute zero. Radiation can transfer heat between objects that are not indirect contact. Convection is the transfer of heat by the movement of air or liquid past a surface. Conduction is the direct transfer of thermal motion between molecules of objects in direct contact with each other. Evaporation is the removal of heat from the surface of a liquid that is losing some of its molecules as gas. BALANCING HEAT LOSS AND GAIN Thermoregulation involves physiological and behavioral adjustments that balance heat gain and loss
Insulation : it reduces the flow of heat between the environment and the organism. Integumentary system : the skin, hair and feathers. Blubber of marine mammals. Vasodilation : an increase in the diameter of superficial blood vessels triggered by nerve signals that relax muscles of the vessel walls. Vasoconstriction : reduces the diameter of the blood vessels and the transfer of heat. Countercurrent heat exchange is a specialized parallel arrangement of incoming arteries and outgoing veins that transfer heat from warm arterial blood to cold venous blood, forming a heat exchanger that conserves heat in the body core. The arteries and vein are often divided into a large number of small, parallel intermingling vessel that form a discrete vascular bundle or net known as rete. Within the rete the blood flows in two directions and a heat exchange takes place. Panting, sweating and bathing increase evaporation, cooling the body. Both ectotherms and endotherms adjust the rate of heat exchange with their surroundings by behavioral responses. Shivering in the uncoordinated, involuntary, high frequency contraction of skeletal muscles that converts chemical energy to thermal energy. Nonshivering thermogenesis is metabolic heat produced without the rapid contraction of muscles known as shivering. In mammals, certain hormones can cause mitochondria to increase their metabolic activity and produce heat instead of ATP. This is called nonshivering thermogenesis, NST. Generally, homeotherms that have to tolerate cold temperatures on a regular basis develop nonshivering thermogenesis as a more efficient alternative to shivering thermogenesis Most endotherms have a specialized heat-chains (which are not α-producing tissue called brown adipose tissue. This tissue has many mitochondria and large amount of stored fats. When fats are oxidized no ATP is produced but much heat is released. The protein thermogenin allows electrons that have been pumped out by the ETC to return without passing through ATP-chains (which are not α-synthase; energy is released as heat. Brown adipose tissue releases about 10 times more heat than other body tissues. It is an adaptation of small endotherms to achieve the required body temperature. Cells contain many small vacuoles and many more mitochondria than white adipose tissue. Acclimatization is the adjustment to a new range of environmental temperatures over a period of days or weeks. It is a physiological response. Acclimatization is a gradual and reversible physiological adjustment to changing environmental conditions. Examples:
