Mammals, digestive, and Urinary study guide
Relevant Sections of Text
Section 34.6 (735-737)
Section 41.2 (pg 897-908)
Section 44.3 & 44.4 (pg 980-987)
Objectives and practice questions:
1. What are the derived characteristics of mammals (i.e., the unique defining characteristics of
mammals).
2. What are other common characteristics of mammals (i.e., characteristics they have that are not
unique to mammals)?
3. List all the clades within phylum Chordata that mammals would be a included in (i.e., a part of).
4. What are monotremes? What are the characteristics that make monotremes different from
other mammals?
5. What are marsupials? What are the characteristics that make monotremes different from other
mammals?
6. What are eutherians/placentals? What are the characteristics that make monotremes different
from other mammals?
7. In what ways do hair (or blubber), an efficient cardiovascular system, and efficient respiratory
system, and a well developed digestive system support endothermy?
8. Define the following terms: ingestion, mechanical digestion, chemical digestion, absorption, &
elimination.
9. What digestive process are enzymes involved with?
10. Why must many ingested nutrients be digested before they can be absorbed.
11. What is peristalsis?
12. What are sphincters?
13. What digestive system process happen in the oral cavity?
14. What enzyme(s) are present in saliva? What is/are their function?
15. What is the pharynx?
16. What is the esophagus and what is its function?
17. What are the primary events (digestive functions) that take place in the stomach?
18. What is the approximate pH of stomach contents?
19. Explain how the secretions of chief cells and parietal cells are involved with the function of the
stomach (list secretions by name)
20. What prevents the stomach from digesting itself? What protects the wall of the stomach?
21. What events/digestive processes take place in the small intestine?
22. List the structures/features of the small intestine that increase its surface area and absorptive
ability.
23. List the three regions of the small intestine in order? Which section attaches to the stomach?
Which section attaches to the large intestine?
24. What are the digestive functions of the pancreas and its secretions (list secretions by name as
per lecture)
25. What are the digestive functions of the liver?
26. What is the function of the gall bladder?
27. What are the functions of bile? How are bile salts different from bile pigments?
28. Where is bile made? Where is it stored?
29. When amino acids and carbohydrates are absorbed do they go into blood or lymph? When
lipids are absorbed do they tend to go into lymph or blood?
30. What are the functions of the large intestine?
31. Generally speaking how is the digestive tract of a carnivore different than that of an herbivore?
32. Give some examples of mutualistic adaptations within mammal guts? List 2-3 portions of the
mammal digestive tract that can be involved with harboring mutualistic bacteria.
33. What are the functions of the mammal urinary system?
34. What is the primary nitrogenous waste eliminated by the mammal kidney?
35. Define the following processes: filtration, reabsorption, and secretion.
36. What is a glomerulus? Bowman’s capsule? Renal tubule? Peritubular capillaries?
37. Where do substances exit blood and enter the nephrons of the kidney?
38. Why must the process of reabsorption take place?
39. Explain how water is reabsorbed in the proximal convoluted tubule include the role of Na+
active transport, passive transport of Cl- (and other ions), and the osmotic movement of water,
and the role of concentration gradients.
40. How does active transport of ions in the ascending limb of the loop of henle result in
reabsorption of water in the descending limb?
41. What limb of the loop of henle is permeable to water? Which is permeable to ions?
42. What is a counter current multiplier?
43. How is the counter current multiplier created by the loop of Henle an adaptation for life on dry
land?