Past Paper example

DESCRIBE THE MAIN BEHAVIOURAL ADAPTATIONS FOR CONSEVING HEAT IN MAMMALS.
Adaptations help organisms survive in their habitats or ecological Niche, adaptations can be behavioural or physiological.
 Behavioural adaptations can be inherited or learnt and include tool use, language and swarming behaviour. for example Heat tolerant animals and adaptations for survival in hot places. Many animals try to avoid the heat by hiding away during the hottest parts of the day in burrows and dens. Others have physical adaptations that help body heat dissipate, such as large ears. To avoid being scorched.
but animals that are Cold tolerant  have evolved various methods for coping with very low temperatures. Some animals hibernate, take shelter, or even migrate to warmer areas. Others, such as Antarctic seals, have warm fur and a thick layer of blubber for insulation. where as Arctic foxes have short noses, legs, and ears. But has a big furry tail to wrap around them to isolate them during the icy storms at night. They only hunt during they day to avoid the harsh winter night

• HOW MIGHT A MARINE MAMMAL BALANCE IT'S CELLULAR OSMOLARITY WITH IT'S ENVIRONMENT?

Marine Animals are osmoconformers their body fluids are similar to seawater in osmolalrity, so they gain and lose water at equal rates and have no need to expend energy expelling water or salt from the body. However, if they are placed in water more or less concentrated than seawater, their tissues shrink or swell, their organelles and cell membranes are damaged, and they die

DESCRIBE THE RESPIRATORY PATHWAYS WHICH MIGHT BE EMPOLYED DURING THE FIRST FIVE MINUTES OF MODERATE EXERCISE CARRIED OUT BY AN ATHLETE?

 Nutrients are built upon an understanding of how nutrients such as carbohydrate, fat, and protein contribute to the fuel supply needed by the body to perform exercise. These nutrients get converted to energy in the form of Adenosine Triphosphate or ATP.

It is from the energy released by the breakdown of ATP that allows muscle cells to contract. However, each nutrient has unique properties that determine how it gets converted to ATP. for example carbohydrates is the main nutrient that fuels exercise of a moderate to high intensity, while fat can fuel low intensity exercise for long periods of time. Proteins are generally used to maintain and repair body tissues, - not normally a power source

• WHAT ARE THE RELATIVE COSTS AND BENEFITS OF ENDOTHERMY?

An endotherm is an organism which maintains its body at a metabolically favourable temperature, largely by the use of heat set free by its internal bodily functions instead of relying almost purely on ambient heat.
therefore....
1. Endothermic animals can inhabit areas that are too cold for ectothermic animals. They also have the ability to be active even when it is cold. 

 2. Ectothermic animals need far less food. As much as 80% of the food energy acquired by an endothermic animal is used just to keep warm

• HOW DO ENVIRONMENTAL TEMPERATURE CHANGES AFFECT CELLULAR RESPIRATION IN AN ECTOTHERM?

An Ectotherm are so called cold blooded animals that rely on external sources such as sunlight or rock faces to heat up there internal bodies. Therefore Environmental temperature is vital to Ectotherms,  if the environment temperature lowers cellular respiration could be affected due to the enzyme structures within the body being affected meaning growth, breathing, sexual interaction, are all depleting slowly.

• HOW MIGHT AN ECTOTHERM RESPOND TO THESE CHANGES?

Ectotherms will respond quickly to these changes and find shade to equal there temperature to what it should be or if it needs to be higher they will find sun and bask in it to increase the temperature.

• WHAT ARE THE MAIN FACTORS AFFECTING THE EFFICIENCY OF GAS DIFFUSION FROM THE LUNG TO THE TISSUES OF AN ANIMAL?

Temperature (Viscosity of medium)
Area over which exchange occur
Concentration gradient
Distance over which Substance diffuse









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