Biology Chapter on Taste and Osmosis

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Questions and Answers

What factors influence gustation?

Level of hunger (correct)

Frequency of waves

Light intensity

Speed of sound

What is the lifespan of gustatory receptors?

1-2 weeks

30-60 days

3-7 days

12-42 days (correct)

Which type of information is transmitted to the central nervous system by cranial nerves related to taste?

Gustatory information (correct)

Visual information

Auditory information

Olfactory information

Which colors of light are primarily available to deeper aquatic animals?

Blue and green Signup and view all the answers

How does light attenuation affect underwater vision?

Changes light intensity and color based on depth Signup and view all the answers

What structural feature of the eye mainly aids in underwater vision?

Hemispherical structure Signup and view all the answers

Where are taste receptors primarily located?

In external taste buds and papillae Signup and view all the answers

What role does the optical nerve play in vision?

Projects visual information to the brain's optical centers Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the loop of Henle in the nephron?

To absorb water and concentrate salt Signup and view all the answers

Which statement accurately defines osmosis?

The movement of water towards the area of higher salt concentration Signup and view all the answers

What is the term for a solution that has the same salt concentration as the cells in a bony fish?

Isotonic Signup and view all the answers

How do marine coastal organisms typically cope with varying salt concentrations in their environment?

Most are euryhaline osmo conformers Signup and view all the answers

What is the main driving force behind diffusion?

Minimization of solute concentration differences Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes a hypertonic solution?

Higher salt concentration than the surrounding environment Signup and view all the answers

What type of membrane is involved in osmosis?

Semi-permeable membrane Signup and view all the answers

What happens to osmotic pressure when equilibrium is reached?

Osmotic pressure decreases and levels off Signup and view all the answers

What characterizes red muscle in fish?

High demand for oxygen and glucose Signup and view all the answers

Which fish species is known to have predominantly red muscle?

Tuna Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of white muscle in fish?

To contract quickly and produce force Signup and view all the answers

In most fish, what percentage of muscle mass is typically composed of white muscle?

90% or more Signup and view all the answers

Which type of muscle has more capillaries and myoglobin?

Red muscle Signup and view all the answers

What adaptation does the Stargazer fish exhibit?

Short bursts of speed with predominantly white muscle Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following fish is characterized as a sedentary species?

Stargazer Signup and view all the answers

What happens if tuna stop swimming?

They risk suffocation from lack of oxygen. Signup and view all the answers

What does visual acuity refer to in animals?

The ability to distinguish fine details in the visual field Signup and view all the answers

Which of the following structures is primarily responsible for the panoramic view and higher visual acuity in some animals?

Visual streak Signup and view all the answers

What type of sensory system combines both auditory and lateral line senses in aquatic animals?

Octavo-lateralis system Signup and view all the answers

What is the primary function of the lateral line system in aquatic animals?

Detection of water movement and low frequency sounds Signup and view all the answers

Which mechanism allows hair cells in the lateral line system to detect water movement?

Movement of the cupula over the hair cells Signup and view all the answers

What term describes the ability of aquatic animals to orient themselves in response to an oncoming water current?

Rheotaxis Signup and view all the answers

What are neuromasts in the lateral line system?

Groups of hair cells that sense local acceleration of water Signup and view all the answers

What structure covers the group of neuromasts and is activated by water movement?

Cupula Signup and view all the answers

What distinguishes steroid hormones from protein hormones?

Steroid hormones are derived from cholesterol. Signup and view all the answers

What is the typical origin of protein hormones?

Formed from amino acids. Signup and view all the answers

Which class of hormones is associated with providing prolonged and slower effects?

Steroid hormones. Signup and view all the answers

How do protein hormones elicit a response from target cells?

By activating secondary messengers. Signup and view all the answers

What type of hormone is ACTH, and what is its primary effect?

A protein hormone that causes iris closure. Signup and view all the answers

Which factor is used to understand the stress response in animals?

Endocrine biomarkers. Signup and view all the answers

What primarily characterizes the bioluminescence of terrestrial organisms?

It predominantly emits a yellow-green color. Signup and view all the answers

What is the role of glucocorticoids in the body?

To act as stress hormones. Signup and view all the answers

Which enzyme is crucial for the bioluminescence process?

Luciferase Signup and view all the answers

What has been a focus shift in understanding population health?

Using individual physiology as an indicator. Signup and view all the answers

What role does luciferin play in bioluminescent reactions?

It is a substrate that undergoes oxidation. Signup and view all the answers

Which statement about photoproteins is true?

They can produce light through different chemical means than luciferin. Signup and view all the answers

In which organ are photophores typically located in bioluminescent organisms?

Photogenic light emitting cells Signup and view all the answers

Which type of bioluminescence occurs when organisms synthesize their own luciferin?

Intrinsic bioluminescence Signup and view all the answers

What is one function of bioluminescence that is still not well understood?

Defense mechanisms Signup and view all the answers

What characteristic wavelength range is optimal for luminescence in marine species?

450 – 510 nm Signup and view all the answers

Study Notes

Lecture Summaries

Many terrestrial and aquatic animals use various methods of camouflage to avoid predation or capture prey using the substrate. Examples include hiding beneath, within or mimicking it.
Animals can camouflage themselves in three main ways:
- Matching the substrate's colour,
- Structural matching to the substrate's texture,
- Combining colour and structural matching to camouflage.
Crypsis involves blending into surroundings, achieving camouflage to avoid detection.
Animals can also manipulate or reflect light to become less visible.
Transparency is a specific type of crypsis, where an organism minimizes the scattering and reflection of light to allow photons to pass through it. It can be partial or complete.
Transparency is more common in aquatic environments, particularly deep sea areas.
Several factors limit the evolution of transparency including light conditions, lack of substrate for concealment, and the organism's internal structures.
Bioluminescence is a process by which organisms create their own light using a chemical reaction called chemiluminescence.
The majority of bioluminescent organisms are found in marine environments and very few terrestrial organisms perform bioluminescence.
Bioluminescence is predominantly utilized for communication, attracting mates, as well as camouflage. Animals may use it, to deter predators or attract prey.
Bioluminescence is not used just in deep sea creatures. Examples include fireflies, glow worms, click beetles, and some bacteria.
Bioluminescence is created through a chemical reaction which does not produce excess heat in the process; known as cold light.
Luciferase is a generic term for a class of oxidised enzymes that catalyse the oxidation of luciferin to produce bioluminescence.
Some organisms can absorb light at one wavelength and re-emit it at a different wavelength, a process called biofluorescence, which is different from bioluminescence.
Multiple factors can affect pressure – increasing pressure affects the proteins and the cell structure as the water gets pushed out. This affects enzymes and ligands, these don't fit properly.
Deep-sea animals have adaptations for high pressure, including modifications to cell membranes that contain more unsaturated fatty acids allowing them to withstand higher pressure whilst maintaining function.

Other Adaptations in Fish

Giant mouth, inward facing teeth, bioluminescence to attract prey, and weakly muscularized body are used in some deep water fishes.
Many have inward-facing teeth to trap prey.
Some species are ectoparasites, dissolving their way into the female host.
Species with large mouths and jaws to consume prey are often opportunistic feeders, who also are susceptible to predation.
Many species have special behaviours to attract prey in the absence of light (bioluminescence), or to lure prey.

Feeding Strategies

Some fish use ambushing techniques.
Other strategies include specialized swimming methods to detect and capture prey.
Specialized sensory structures detect food sources,
Dentition plays a key role in digestion, often related to the type of food eaten and the method of ingestion.

Sensory Capabilities

Fish have a variety of sensory systems for detecting prey, predators, and other environmental factors.
Vision, smell, hearing, lateral line, electroreception, and taste play vital roles. They vary according to the size of the fish and the environment they live in.
Many sensory systems use hair cells in organs.
The nervous system collects, integrates, and processes sensory information for behaviour and response to stimuli in the environment.

Osmoregulation in Fish

Fish can be either osmoconformers (tolerating large changes in salinity) or osmoregulators (maintaining a constant internal salinity).
Saltwater and freshwater fish will be adapted differently considering the amount of water and salt in these environments.
Adaptation to water salinity concentration is important for fish to survive in their environment.
Kidney functions differ depending on the environment and salt levels.
There are differences and adaptations to cope with salinity changes in freshwater and saltwater environments.
Strategies like nasal salt glands, specific kidney functions, modified gills, and special dietary strategies are critical for adapting to various environments.

Metabolic Scope

Metabolic rate describes the overall chemical activity in living tissues.
High metabolic rates are especially associated with activities requiring high levels of energy, such as those in larger fish and migratory species.
Metabolic rate can vary with body size, activity level, diet, and environmental conditions.
Metabolic rates that depend greatly on temperature cause changes in behaviour, response, and physiological performance.

Fish Kills

Fish kills occur when a large number of fish die in a short period of time, usually due to a sudden change in some aspects of their environmental conditions.

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Description

Test your knowledge on the biology of taste, gustation, and osmosis, including the roles of sensory receptors and their functions. Additionally, explore how environmental factors affect aquatic vision and organismal adaptation to salinity. This quiz covers essential concepts in biological sciences related to taste and osmosis.