Biology 364 – Animal Physiology
• Instructor: Manuela Gardner
• Textbook: Principles of Animal
Physiology
• Course website (Manuela
Gardner):
www.zoology.ubc.ca/~gardner
Contact info
Manuela Gardner
Office: Room 1370, Biological Sciences Bldg.
Email: gardner@zoology.ubc.ca
Office Hours: Fridays 1200-1300
Biology 364 – Animal Physiology
Respiratory System – uptake of oxygen
and removal of carbon dioxide
Circulatory System –primary internal
transport for substances (eg oxygen &
nutrients) and other functions
Ion and water regulation – deals with
ion and water balance, and nitrogen
excretion
Grading and assessment
Marking Scheme
 Problem sets: 30%
1 per section (3 total)
These will be representative of questions
given on the final exam.
Final: Open book/notes - 70%
Animal Physiology - definition
“The study of how animals work” – Knut
Schmidt-Nielsen
Structure and function of various parts
- How these parts work together
Unifying Themes in Physiology (Table 1.1)
• Physiological processes obey physical and chemical laws
• Physiological processes are usually regulated
– Homeostasis – maintenance of internal constancy
• Phenotype is a product of genotype and its interaction with the
environment
– Genotype – genetic makeup
– Phenotype – expression of genotype in morphology, physiology,
and behavior
– Phenotypic plasticity – single genotype generates more than one
phenotypic outcome depending on environmental conditions
• Genotype is the product of evolution
Unifying Themes in Physiology (Table 1.1)
• Physiological processes obey physical and
chemical laws
 Physical properties of a
material are linked to function
(e.g., bone)
 Chemical laws govern
molecular interactions (e.g.,
effects of temperature)
 Electrical laws describe
membrane function, including
excitable cells
 Body size influences
biochemical and physical
patterns – allometric scaling
Unifying Themes in Physiology (Table 1.1)
• Physiological processes are usually regulated
– Homeostasis – maintenance of internal
constancy
How do animals deal with
variations in their environment?
Physiological Regulation
• Conformers
• (a) Allow internal
conditions to change
when faced with
variations in external
conditions
• (b) Internal
environment adjusts to
reflect external
conditions
Physiological Regulation
Moyes and Schulte;
Figure 1.4
Physiological Regulation
• Regulators
• (a) Maintain relatively
constant internal
conditions regardless of
the conditions in the
external environment
• (b) Keep internal
environment within
narrow limits
Physiological Regulation - Homeostasis
• Maintenance of internal conditions in the
face of environmental perturbations
• Controlled by feedback loops or reflex
control pathways
– Negative feedback loops
– Positive feedback loops
Figure 1.5
Unifying Themes in Physiology (Table 1.1)
• Phenotype is a product of genotype and its interaction
with the environment
– Genotype – genetic makeup
– Phenotype – morphology, physiology, and behavior
– Phenotypic plasticity – single genotype generates more than one
phenotype depending on environmental conditions
Phenotypic Plasticity
• Can be irreversible or reversible
• Irreversible
– Polyphenism - developmental plasticity
• Reversible
– Acclimation - lab
– Acclimatization – natural environment
Unifying Themes in Physiology (Table 1.1)
• Genotype is the product of evolution
• Adaptation
– Change in a population over evolutionary time (i.e.
many generations)
Trait that confers an increase in reproductive success
via natural selection
Physiology and evolution
• Physiologists attempt to understand
and account for diversity of animal
body form and strategies that animals
use to cope with their environments
• Two types of questions
• Proximate cause – How?
• Ultimate cause – Why?
Biology 364 – Animal Physiology
Respiratory System – uptake of oxygen
and removal of carbon dioxide
Circulatory System –primary internal
transport for substances (eg oxygen &
nutrients) and other functions
Ion and water regulation – deals with
ion and water balance, and nitrogen
excretion