conformers and regulators

• what is the ability of an organism to maintain its metabolic rate affected by?

  external abiotic factors, for example, temperature, salinity and pH
• what is a conformersinternal enviroment affected by?

  its external enviroment
• what do conformers use to maintain optimum metabolic rate?

  behavioural respones, for example, reptiles basking in the sun
• conformers have...and...


  low metabolic costs and a narrow range of ecological niches
• what do behavioural respones allow in conformers?

  them to tolerate variation in their external enviroment to maintain optimum metabolic rate
• how do regulators maintain their internal enviroment?

  using metabolism
• are regulators affected by their external enviroment

  no, they can maintain internal enviroment regardless of external enviroment
• what does regulators using metabolism to control their internal enviroment increase?

  the range of possible ecological niches
• what do regualtors require to control their internal enviroment?

  energy to acheive homeostasis
• what does the energy to acheive homeostasis increase

  metabolic costs
• what is the role of the hypothalamus

  the temperature monitoring centre
• expalin negative feedback

  information is communicated by electrical impulses through nerves to the effectors, which bring about corrective responses to return the temperature to normal
• how does sweating regulate temperature

  body heat is used to evaporate water in sweat, cooling the skin
• how does vasodilation regulate temp (if body is too hot)

  increases blood flow close to skin, increasing the heat lost
• how does vasoconstriction regulate temp (if body is too cold)

  decreases blood flow close to skin, decreasing heat lost
• how does shivering regulate temp?

  muscles contract, generating heat
• how does hair erector muscle contraction generate heat

  it traps a layer of insulating air
• what does decreased metabolic rate mean

  less heat produced
• what does increased metabolic rate mean?

  more heat produced
• what is the importance of regulating temperature

  for optimal enzyme activity and higher diffusion rates to maintain metabolism