conformers cannot regulate internal their environment
therefore they cannot control their metabolic rate
the body temperature of a
conformer depends upon the
temperature of the external
environment
examples of conformers are
reptiles and invertebrates
an example of
conforming is desert
lizards burrowing
beneath the sand to cool
down
an advantage of being a conformer is
having no physilogical mechanism for
controlling metablic rate results in low
energy costs to the organism
a disadvantage of being a conformer is only
being able to occupy a narrow range of
ecological niches as they are less able to adapt
and survive to changing environments
regulators
In regulators
metabolism is used
to control the
internal environment
of the organism
the internal environment
remains stable even in a
change in external
environment this is called homeostasis
homeostasis is controlled via the hypothalamus
the hypothalamus is the temperature monitoring centre in
the brain that receives nerve impulses that come from
receptors in the skin
an advantage of being a regulator
is being able to occupy a wide
range of niches
a disadvantage of being a regulator is the
high energy costs to keep the internal
environment the same
regulators can control
their internal
environment
thermoregulation is the process in
which an organism controls it's
internal body temperature
mammals have to maintain an internal body
temperature of 37 degrees celsius in order to
facilitate optimum enzyme activity and the
movement of molecules via diffusion
the ways in which
regulators control their
internal body
temperature are:
for overheating
vasodilation- allowing blood to
go to the surface of the skin
where heat is lost
increasing sweat rate- heat is lost
through turning sweat into vapour
through which heat is lost
a decrease in metabolic rate
which lowers heat production
for increasing the
internal
temperature
vasoconstriction- blood vessels are
restricted and blood flow to skin is
stopped so less heat is lost
hair erector muscles contract- hair
stands on end and trap an insulating
layer of warmer air next to the skin
shivering- skeletal muscles around the body
contract and this repeated muscle activity
generates heat