BIO 1306 Lecture Notes - Lecture 8: Vasodilation, Aestivation, Homeothermy
Document Summary
Anatomy is the biological form of an organism. Physiology is the biological functions an organism performs. The comparative study of animals reveals that form and function are closely correlated. Concept 40. 1: animal form and function are correlated at all levels of organization. Size and shape affect the way an animal interacts with its environment. The body plan of an animal is programmed by the genome, itself the product of millions of years of evolution. Physical laws govern strength, diffusion, movement, and heat exchange. Properties of water limit possible shapes for fast swimming animals. As animals increase in size, thicker skeletons are required for support. Convergent evolution often results in similar adaptations of diverse organisms facing the same challenge. In flat animals, such as tapeworms, most cells are in direct contact with its environment. More complex organisms are composed of compact masses of cells with complex internal organization.
