Thermoregulation

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What is an ectotherm?
Animals who use their environment to regulate their core body temperature, their body temperature is heavily dependant on their environment
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What is an endotherm?
Animals which rely on metabolic processes to regulate their internal environment
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What are the behavioural responses of ectotherms to heat up their core temperature?
Basking with max SA exposed, pressing bodies against warm ground, Galapagos lizards contract and vibrate muscles to give off heat & raise body temperature, butterflies also vibrate their wings
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What are the behavioural responses of ectotherms to cool them down?
They press their bodies onto cool ground or mud, burrowing or hiding in the shade of rocks
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What are some physiological responses of ectotherms to regulate their body temperature?
Colour changes, for example some lizards can change to a darker colour to absorb more heat, altering heart rate, again some lizards can alter their heart rate to increase or decrease their metabolic rate
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Why do ectotherms eat a lot less than endotherms?
Because they use a lot less energy regulating their body temperatures and because of this they can survive in areas where food is scarce
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Name some behavioural responses endotherms do to regulate their body temperature
Some similar to ectotherms in the sense that they bask, press against warm/cool surfaces, in addition, some go into hibernation
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What physiological responses do endotherms have to cool down their body temperature?
Vasodilation (arteriovenous shunt contracts forcing blood into capillaries near skin), increase sweating (heat evaporates with sweat), reducing insulating effect of hair & feathers (eg erector pilli muscles relax), large SA:V ratio (eg large ears)
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What physiological responses do endotherms have to warm up their body temperature?
Vasoconstriction (arteriovenous shunt relaxes and not as much blood flows through skin capillaries), decreased sweating, raising hair or feathers (or hollow hair) for insulating layer of air, shivering (metabolic heat), small SA:V ratio (small ears)
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Card 2

Front

What is an endotherm?

Back

Animals which rely on metabolic processes to regulate their internal environment

Card 3

Front

What are the behavioural responses of ectotherms to heat up their core temperature?

Back

Preview of the front of card 3

Card 4

Front

What are the behavioural responses of ectotherms to cool them down?

Back

Preview of the front of card 4

Card 5

Front

What are some physiological responses of ectotherms to regulate their body temperature?

Back

Preview of the front of card 5
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