Table of contents

1. Introduction to Biology2h 42m
2. Chemistry3h 37m
3. Water1h 26m
4. Biomolecules2h 23m
5. Cell Components2h 26m
6. The Membrane2h 31m
7. Energy and Metabolism2h 0m
8. Respiration2h 40m
9. Photosynthesis2h 49m
10. Cell Signaling59m
11. Cell Division2h 47m
12. Meiosis2h 0m
13. Mendelian Genetics4h 44m
14. DNA Synthesis2h 27m
15. Gene Expression3h 6m
16. Regulation of Expression3h 31m
17. Viruses37m
- Viruses
  37m
18. Biotechnology2h 58m
19. Genomics17m
- Genomes
  17m
20. Development1h 5m
21. Evolution3h 1m
22. Evolution of Populations3h 53m
23. Speciation1h 37m
24. History of Life on Earth2h 6m
25. Phylogeny2h 31m
26. Prokaryotes4h 59m
27. Protists1h 12m
28. Plants1h 22m
29. Fungi36m
- Fungi
  19m
- Fungi Reproduction
  17m
30. Overview of Animals34m
- Overview of Animals
  34m
31. Invertebrates1h 2m
32. Vertebrates50m
33. Plant Anatomy1h 3m
34. Vascular Plant Transport1h 2m
- Water Potential
  1h 2m
35. Soil37m
- Soil and Nutrients
  20m
- Nitrogen Fixation
  16m
36. Plant Reproduction47m
- Flowers
  33m
- Seeds
  14m
37. Plant Sensation and Response1h 9m
38. Animal Form and Function1h 19m
39. Digestive System1h 10m
- Digestion
  1h 3m
- Blood Sugar Homeostasis
  7m
40. Circulatory System1h 49m
41. Immune System1h 12m
42. Osmoregulation and Excretion50m
- Osmoregulation and Excretion
  50m
43. Endocrine System1h 4m
- Endocrine System
  1h 4m
44. Animal Reproduction1h 2m
- Animal Reproduction
  1h 2m
45. Nervous System1h 55m
- Neurons and Action Potentials
  1h 8m
- Central and Peripheral Nervous System
  46m
46. Sensory Systems46m
- Sensory System
  46m
47. Muscle Systems23m
- Musculoskeletal System
  23m
48. Ecology3h 11m
49. Animal Behavior28m
- Animal Behavior
  28m
50. Population Ecology3h 41m
51. Community Ecology2h 46m
52. Ecosystems2h 36m
53. Conservation Biology24m
- Conservation Biology
  24m

38. Animal Form and Function

Metabolism and Homeostasis

General Biology

38. Animal Form and Function

Metabolism and Homeostasis

Previous problemNext problem

2: minutes

Problem 6

Textbook Question

Describe ways in which the bodies of complex animals are structured for exchanging materials with the environment. Do all animals share such features?

Verified step by step guidance

Identify the various systems in complex animals that are involved in material exchange. These include the respiratory system for gas exchange, the digestive system for nutrient absorption, and the circulatory system for distributing substances throughout the body.

Examine the structural adaptations that enhance material exchange in these systems. For example, the alveoli in lungs provide a large surface area for gas exchange, while villi and microvilli in the intestines increase the surface area for nutrient absorption.

Discuss the role of the circulatory system in transporting materials. The heart pumps blood through vessels, reaching various tissues and facilitating the exchange of nutrients, gases, and wastes at the cellular level.

Explore the concept of homeostasis and how it relates to material exchange. Homeostasis involves maintaining a stable internal environment, which is crucial for efficient material exchange and overall functioning of the body.

Consider variations among different animal groups. While all complex animals have systems for material exchange, the specific structures and mechanisms can vary. For example, aquatic animals may use gills for gas exchange, while terrestrial animals typically use lungs.

Verified video answer for a similar problem:

This video solution was recommended by our tutors as helpful for the problem above

Video duration:

Play a video:

Was this helpful?

Key Concepts

Here are the essential concepts you must grasp in order to answer the question correctly.

Surface Area to Volume Ratio

The surface area to volume ratio is a critical concept in biology that describes how the size of an organism affects its ability to exchange materials with its environment. As organisms increase in size, their volume grows faster than their surface area, making it more challenging to efficiently exchange gases, nutrients, and waste. Complex animals have evolved specialized structures, such as lungs and gills, to maximize surface area and facilitate these exchanges.

Circulatory Systems

Circulatory systems are essential for transporting materials throughout complex animals. These systems can be open or closed, allowing for the efficient distribution of oxygen, nutrients, and hormones to cells while removing waste products. In larger animals, a closed circulatory system, like that found in mammals, ensures that blood circulates quickly and can reach all tissues, enhancing the exchange of materials with the environment.

Respiratory Structures

Respiratory structures, such as lungs in mammals and gills in fish, are specialized adaptations that facilitate gas exchange between the organism and its environment. These structures increase the surface area available for oxygen uptake and carbon dioxide release, allowing for efficient respiration. While all animals require some form of gas exchange, the specific structures and mechanisms can vary widely, reflecting the diversity of adaptations to different environments.

Watch next

Master Surface Area to Volume Ratio with a bite sized video explanation from Jason

Start learning

Related Videos

Related Practice

Textbook Question

Compared with a smaller cell, a larger cell of the same shape has

a. Less surface area

b. Less surface area per unit of volume

c. The same surface-area-to-volume ratio

d. A smaller cytoplasm-to-nucleus ratio

1436

views

Textbook Question

Negative-feedback mechanisms are

a. Most often involved in maintaining homeostasis.

b. Analogous to a furnace that produces heat.

c. Found only in birds and mammals.

d. All of the above.

947

views

Textbook Question

An animal's inputs of energy and materials would exceed its outputs

a. If the animal is an endotherm, which must always take in more energy because of its high metabolic rate

b. If it is actively foraging for food

c. If it is growing and increasing its mass

d. Never; due to homeostasis, these energy and material budgets always balance

1164

views

Textbook Question

Which of the following cell structures would you expect to be most important in the growth of bacteria on the surface of your teeth?

a. Cell wall

b. Fimbriae

c. Flagella

d. Cilia

1233

views

Textbook Question

Which of the following animals uses the largest percentage of its energy budget for homeostatic regulation?

a. Marine jelly (an invertebrate)

b. Snake in a temperate forest

c. Desert insect

d. Desert bird

730

views

Textbook Question

Which of the following best illustrates homeostasis? (Explain your answer.)

a. Most adult humans are between 5 and 6 feet tall.

b. All the cells of the body are about the same size.

c. When the salt concentration of the blood goes up, the kidneys expel more salt.

d. When oxygen in the blood decreases, you feel dizzy.

1022

views

Textbook Question

Draw a model of the control circuit(s) required for driving an automobile at a fairly constant speed over a hilly road. Indicate each feature that represents a sensor, stimulus, or response.

651

views

Textbook Question

The eukaryotic cytoskeleton is a highly dynamic network of filaments and motor proteins. Which of the following correctly describe activities of these cytoskeletal components? Select True or False for each statement.

T/FMyosin motors walk toward the plus ends of intermediate filaments.

T/FDynein motors are responsible for the whip-like movement of eukaryotic flagella.

T/FKinesin motors move vesicles along tracks toward the microtubule-organizing center.

T/FActin filaments are required for cytoplasmic streaming.

1496

views

Show more practices

Download the Mobile app

Privacy

Do not sell my personal information

Accessibility

Patent notice

Sitemap