Final answer:
The false statement is that conformity costs more energy to maintain than regulation. Conformers do not expend energy to maintain internal constancy, whereas regulators use energy to maintain homeostasis. The correct option is d. Conformity costs more energy to maintain than regulation
Step-by-step explanation:
The statement regarding conformity and regulation that is false is d. Conformity costs more energy to maintain than regulation. In biological systems, it is generally more energy-efficient to be a conformer rather than a regulator as conformers do not expend energy to maintain internal constancy against external fluctuations. Regulators, on the other hand, do use energy to maintain homeostasis despite changes in the external environment.
Animals can indeed be both regulators and conformers, as they may regulate some aspects of their physiology while conforming to others depending on environmental conditions. Also, most biological responses tend to be somewhere on a spectrum between pure conformity and strict regulation, and intermediate responses are indeed more common. The correct option is d. Conformity costs more energy to maintain than regulation