Desert Ant Survives in Hard Conditions Due to Their Anatomy

Anatomy - The structure of an organism - Desert ant survives in hard conditions due to their anatomy - Long legs help with elevation, running, etc Physiology - The processes and functions of and organism Size and shape - Fundamental aspects of form that affect the way animal interacts with its environment - Programmed by the genome Evolution - Body plans evolved - Some properties of water limit the shapes for animals - Physical laws → affect animal body plan - As body dimensions increase → thickers skeletons are required for maintenance Exchange - Exchange nutrients, waste product, and gases with environment - Occurs as substances dissolved in an aqueous solution move across plasma membrane - Rate of exchange is proportional to membrane surface area involved in exchange - Increasing number of cells decreases the ratio of outer surface area to total volume Interstitial fluid - The fluid filling the spaces between cells in most animals - Link exhchange surfaces to body cells - Complex bodies have ciruclarotry fluid → blood - Allows bodies to obtain nutrients and get rid of waste Complex body benefits - External skeleton → protect against predators - Sensory organs → detailed info on animals surrounding - Internal digestive organs → break down food gradually→ control release of stored energy Tissue - An integrated group of cells with a common structure, function, or both Organs - A specialized center of body function composed of several different types of tissues Organ systems - A group of organs that work together in performing vital body functions - Include specialized organs made up of specialized tissue and cells Tissue - Epithelial - Connective - Nervous Endocrine system - Internal system of communication involving hormones - Ductless glands → secrete hormones - Molecular receptors on - In target cells that respond to hormones - Functions in concert with the nervous system to effect internal regulation ad maintain regulation Nervous system - Fast acting internal system of communication involving sensory receptors - Network of nerve cells - Connection to muscles and glands that respond to nerve signals - Functions in concert to endocrine systems to effect internal regulation nad maintain homeostasis Hormones - In multicellular hormones - One of many types of secreted chemicals that are formed in specialized cells - Travel in body fluids - And act on specific target cells in other parts of the organism - Changing target cells functioning - Different hormones → different effects Regulator - An animal for which mechanisms of homeostasis moderate internal changes in a particular variable in the face of external fluctuating of that variable Conformer - An animal for which an internal condiiton conforms to (changes in accordance with) changes in an environment variable Homeostasis - - The steady state physiological condition of the body Physical and chemical properties Requires a control system Set point - A value maintained for a particular variable Stimulus - In feedback regulation - Fluctation in a variable that triggers a response Sensor - A receptor that detects a stimulus Negative feedback - A form of regulation in which accumulation of an end prodcut of a process slows the proccess - Primary mechanism of homeostasis - A change in a varibale triggers a response that counteracts the initial change Positive feedback - Form of regulation in which an end product of a process speeds up that process - A control mechanism in which a change in a variable triggers a response that reinforces or amplifies the change Regulated changes - Interinal environement are essential to normal body functions Circadian rhythm - Physiological cycle of about 24 hours that persists even in the absence of external cues - Monitor body temp Acclimatization - Physiological adjustment to a change in an environment factor