BIOL 1070 Study Guide - Final Guide: Thermogenesis, Adipocyte, Torpor
23 Apr 2016
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Document Summary
In the previous unit, we learned about the ways in which organisms exchange substances with their environments and the mechanisms involved in homeostasis. This unit, we will explore metabolism and body size as well as how and why some endotherms hibernate while others remain active during the harsh arctic winter. We will continue to gather information on polar bear biology to paint a broader picture of whether this species will survive arctic climate change. Exchange with the environment and the amount of material that must be exchanged are both strongly influenced by body size and surface area. For example, the larger the animal, the greater its absolute requirements are for gases and nutrients. An elephant needs more food and oxygen each day than a mouse does. Thus, absolute requirements go up with body size. However, gram for gram, a mouse uses up more oxygen per unit of body mass than an elephant.
