Question

The brain and spinal cord are part of the _______ nervous system. The electrical charges that act as nervous signals are called _______. Jellyfish do not have a brain. Instead their nervous system is called a _______. After nervous systems began to develop in bilaterally symmetric animals, some developed ventral, or front, nerve cords, while chordates developed _______ nerve cords. Skeletons that allow for movement by using muscles and squeezing liquid to change the body shape are called _______ skeletons. _______ do not grow with arthropods, and so occasionally must be shed and regrown from chitin. Muscles move endo- and exoskeletons by _______. _______ is the joining of two gametes called sperm and egg. A fish that lays her eggs in a cluster is initiating _______ fertilization. _______ are an adaptation by reptiles to allow for reproduction and embryo development on land. Describe three different strategies used by three different animals to thermoregulate. If you see a snake coiled up in a sunny patch of grass, what can you probably conclude about the type of thermoregulator it is. Why?

Answer 1

1. central

2. action potential

3. nerve net

4. dorsal

5. hydrostatic

6. Exoskeletons

7. contraction/contracting

8. Fertilization

9. external fertilization

10. Eggs

11. Animals with fur thermoregulate by panting. Winged birds will flap against their mouths/heads to dissipate heat. Humans will produce sweat to evaporatively cool. Polar bears have developed blubber. Bears drop body temperatures during hibernation.

12. Seeing a snake using the warmth of the sun leads us to conclude that it is likely a thermo conformer that cannot produce its own body heat.

Answer 2

The brain and spinal cord are part of the central nervous system.

The electrical charges that act as nervous signals are called action potentials or nerve impulses.

Jellyfish do not have a brain. Instead, their nervous system is called a nerve net.

After nervous systems began to develop in bilaterally symmetric animals, some developed ventral nerve cords, while chordates developed dorsal nerve cords.

Skeletons that allow for movement by using muscles and squeezing liquid to change the body shape are called hydrostatic skeletons.

Exoskeletons do not grow with arthropods, and so occasionally must be shed and regrown from chitin.

Muscles move endo- and exoskeletons by contracting and relaxing.

Fertilization is the joining of two gametes called sperm and egg.

A fish that lays her eggs in a cluster is initiating cluster or mass fertilization.

Amniotic eggs are an adaptation by reptiles to allow for reproduction and embryo development on land.

Describe three different strategies used by three different animals to thermoregulate.

1. Elephants: Elephants thermoregulate by using their large ears as cooling devices. They flap their ears to increase surface area and enhance heat loss through evaporative cooling.
2. Desert Lizards: Desert lizards employ behavioral thermoregulation by basking in the sun to absorb heat and warming their bodies. They also retreat to shade or burrows to avoid excessive heat when needed.
3. Penguins: Penguins have a unique thermoregulation strategy. They huddle together in large groups to conserve body heat and shield themselves from the cold Antarctic winds, effectively reducing heat loss and maintaining body temperature.

If you see a snake coiled up in a sunny patch of grass, what can you probably conclude about the type of thermoregulator it is. Why?

If you see a snake coiled up in a sunny patch of grass, you can probably conclude that the snake is an ectotherm. Ectotherms rely on external heat sources, such as the sun, to regulate their body temperature. By basking in the sun, the snake absorbs heat, which helps raise its body temperature to a suitable level for proper physiological functioning.