BIOLOGY 1A03 Lecture Notes - Lecture 2: Canada Goose, Stearin, Himalayas
30 Sep 2018
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BIO 1A03
Applied Lecture #2
Energy to Survive Harsh Environments – Camels
- It is perceived that camels’ humps are filled with water
- It reality it is not
Anatomy of the Camel Hump
- Camel hump consists of a giant mound of fat
- Hump can weigh up to 80 pounds
- Allows the animal to survive up to 2 weeks with limited food
Why Are Fats Important for Camels?
- Camels do not store water, they store the fat, tristearin
- Fat is also a source of energy when it is metabolized allowing for camels to undergo long periods
without drinking
- Do not generally use this fat for water production
- Oxidation of tristearin is aerobic
- C57H110O6 + 163O2 → 114CO2 + 110 H2O
What’s the Real Deal?
- Camels can endure long periods without water because
- Extreme tolerance to water loss (up to 30-40% of their body weight)
- Minimize water losses by condensing water in the nostril
- Produce very dry feces due to the camel retaining the water
Energy for Migration – Geese
- Prior to migration, geese start eating a lot to store energy
Migrating Geese Have Distinct and Challenging Routes
- Depending on season, geese will migrate to different areas due to mating or molting events
- During the winter, they will fly south
How Do Geese Prepare for Flight?
- In the spring and summer, geese eat leaves, grass, flowers and stems
- Often eat for 12 hours days and feed even more intensively right before they fly (both before and
after winter)
- During migration, birds can lose up to half of their entire body weight
- Geese start training their children to fly very early so they can fly without constantly stopping
Extreme Energy-Requiring Migrations
- Bar-headed Geese live around the Himalayas with high altitudes
- Born on high altitude lakes near Tibet and Mongolia
- Humans will try to teach the chicks to fly by imprinting the flying behaviour into them
- Fly 800 miles migration in the wild
- Many birds avoid high altitudes but these geese fly right across Mt. Everest
How High Are We Talking?
- When hikers try to climb Mt. Everest they must stop at basecamps to replenish on necessary
resources they need
- Bar-headed geese constantly fly above these mountains without the need of stopping
- Have incredible physiological adaptations
- Canadian Geese versus Bar-Headed Geese are 10x less the distance in flying in high altitudes
McMaster Biology
- Metabolic and respiratory processes in challenging environments
- Research done by Dr. McClelland and Dr. Scott
Dr. McClelland’s Insights
- Exercise is energetically costly
- Animals can maintain locomotion even in high altitude or hypoxic environments
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BIOLOGY 1A03 Full Course Notes
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Document Summary
It is perceived that camels" humps are filled with water. Camel hump consists of a giant mound of fat. Hump can weigh up to 80 pounds. Allows the animal to survive up to 2 weeks with limited food. Camels do not store water, they store the fat, tristearin. Fat is also a source of energy when it is metabolized allowing for camels to undergo long periods without drinking. Do not generally use this fat for water production. Camels can endure long periods without water because. Extreme tolerance to water loss (up to 30-40% of their body weight) Minimize water losses by condensing water in the nostril. Produce very dry feces due to the camel retaining the water. Prior to migration, geese start eating a lot to store energy. Depending on season, geese will migrate to different areas due to mating or molting events. During the winter, they will fly south.
