Exam 25: Metabolism, Temperature Regulation and Environmental Stress

A small child is given a gift labelled 'sea monkeys'. At first glance it appears to consist of nothing but dehydrated and lifeless granules. However, when placed in water, the granules turn out to be small brine shrimp that display vigorous signs of life. This is an example of

Body temperature

It is advantageous for athletes to train at high altitudes for several weeks before an important competition at sea level, because during this time they develop an increase in

When exposed to acutely hypoxic conditions, many endotherms lower their body temperature. This response is advantageous because

The most likely cause of damage to cells by freezing is

By building their nest mounds with a north-south orientation, 'magnetic' termites living in northern Australia ensure that the

An animal presents at a veterinary hospital with suspected pathological hypothermia. In response to this preliminary diagnosis you should

In a species of mammal, the metabolic rate measured at 10 $\degree$ C in winter would be

All of the following physiological changes are characteristic of the vertebrate diving response and also of torpor, EXCEPT

Endotherms

Which of the following statements is CORRECT?

In preparation for a physiological experiment an animal is placed in a temperature-controlled chamber and allowed to acclimate. During the experiment the temperature within the chamber is steadily increased and measurements of the animal's metabolic rate are taken at regular intervals. The results show that the metabolic rate of the animal decreases steadily over the first 15 $\degree$ C, remains constant for the next 5 $\degree$ C and then increases steeply over the final 10 $\degree$ C. You would predict that, during this experiment, the body temperature of the animal would

As altitude increases, which of the following atmospheric changes occurs for every 5500 m gained?

A decrease in the partial pressure of O₂ from normal O₂ levels can result in

Which of the following is an example of phenotypic plasticity?

While climbing a very high mountain, a climber complains of dizziness, headache, nausea, palpitations and insomnia. The climber is probably suffering from

North American prairie dogs build a mound at one of the two entrances to their burrows. The entrance on the mound (A) is higher than the other entrance (B), and is therefore exposed to greater wind speeds. This

Insects living at low temperatures can increase body temperature by

Which of the following statements about torpor is true?

In an experiment, a fish that had been kept in a tank containing water at 25 $\degree$ C was transferred to water at 20 $\degree$ C. One hour after the transfer the metabolic rate of the fish was significantly reduced; however, after several days the metabolic rate of the fish had returned to its pre-transfer level. The metabolic changes experienced by the fish in this experiment demonstrate