BIOL 316 Exam 1 UNR Questions with Correct Answers Latest Update 2025-2026
define physiology - Answers branch of biology that deals with the functions of living organisms
and their parts
darwins 4 postulates of natural selection - Answers 1. phenotypes vary within populations
2. some of this variation is passed onto offspring
3. in every generation, more offspring are produced that can survive
4. some individuals survive and reproduce more effectively than others, and this success is
associated with their phenotypes
evolutionary reasoning - Answers allows us to PREDICT physiology based on knowledge about
local environments, not just catalogue it across organisms and environments
two broad questions in animal physiology - Answers 1. mechanisms: what is the mechanism by
which a function is accomplished? (proximate causation)
2. origins: how did that mechanism come to be (ultimate causation)
mechanism - Answers interactions between the components of living animals that enable these
animals to perform and function as they do
Firefly bioluminescent organ - Answers firefly Luciferin catalysis by firefly luciferase
Origin (ultimate cause) of light-emitting in firefllies - Answers males of different species flash
their lights in different but characteristic patterns to attract females
define adaptations - Answers traits that have arisen as a result of natural selection
how and why are animals different from inanimate objects - Answers atoms of animal bodies
undergo continuous and dynamic exchange with the atoms of their environments. to maintain
this organization, animals require the input of ENERGY
because animals dynamically interact with their environment, they must maintain - Answers
homeostasis
define homeostasis - Answers the maintenance of a stable (or nearly stable) internal
environment
why is homeostasis important - Answers most biochemistry operates best within a relatively
narrow range of conditions
how do animals respond to environmental variation - Answers 1. regulation
2. conformity
, define regulation - Answers the animal physiologically or behaviorally compensates for
environmental variation
define conformity - Answers the animal "conforms" to changes in it's external and/or internal
environment
how do lizards maintain stable internal body temperatures - Answers lizards are ECTOTHERMS,
and use behavioral thermoregulation
define ectotherm - Answers their internal body temperatures are directly determined by their
immediate external environment
define behavioral thermoregulation - Answers maintains constant internal body temperature
what should mean body temperatures look like as a function of mean environmental
temperature - Answers thermoregulation: should look more scattered (brown anole bahamas)
thermoconformity: should look compacted (slender anole panama)
why do slender anoles (panama) thermoconform? - Answers because behavioral
thermoregulation would cost too much energy in the thermally homogenous environment of the
tropical rainforest understory
* in certain environments, conformity can be a more effective strategy than regulation
behavioral thermoregulation, like all processes that provide homeostasis to organisms, rely on -
Answers negative feedback
cytokine storm is an example of - Answers positive feedback
define positive feedback - Answers where the physiological process snowballs in response to
the stimulus
what is a cytokine storm - Answers where immune cells release signaling proteins called
cytokines which tell body to produce more immune cells which in turn release more cytokines,
and so on in a positive feedback loop
What are the 3 types of physiological responses to the external environment - Answers (fastest
response to slowest response)
1. acute changes
2. chronic changes
3. evolutionary changes
two forms of phenotypic plasticity - Answers acute changes and chronic changes
define physiology - Answers branch of biology that deals with the functions of living organisms
and their parts
darwins 4 postulates of natural selection - Answers 1. phenotypes vary within populations
2. some of this variation is passed onto offspring
3. in every generation, more offspring are produced that can survive
4. some individuals survive and reproduce more effectively than others, and this success is
associated with their phenotypes
evolutionary reasoning - Answers allows us to PREDICT physiology based on knowledge about
local environments, not just catalogue it across organisms and environments
two broad questions in animal physiology - Answers 1. mechanisms: what is the mechanism by
which a function is accomplished? (proximate causation)
2. origins: how did that mechanism come to be (ultimate causation)
mechanism - Answers interactions between the components of living animals that enable these
animals to perform and function as they do
Firefly bioluminescent organ - Answers firefly Luciferin catalysis by firefly luciferase
Origin (ultimate cause) of light-emitting in firefllies - Answers males of different species flash
their lights in different but characteristic patterns to attract females
define adaptations - Answers traits that have arisen as a result of natural selection
how and why are animals different from inanimate objects - Answers atoms of animal bodies
undergo continuous and dynamic exchange with the atoms of their environments. to maintain
this organization, animals require the input of ENERGY
because animals dynamically interact with their environment, they must maintain - Answers
homeostasis
define homeostasis - Answers the maintenance of a stable (or nearly stable) internal
environment
why is homeostasis important - Answers most biochemistry operates best within a relatively
narrow range of conditions
how do animals respond to environmental variation - Answers 1. regulation
2. conformity
, define regulation - Answers the animal physiologically or behaviorally compensates for
environmental variation
define conformity - Answers the animal "conforms" to changes in it's external and/or internal
environment
how do lizards maintain stable internal body temperatures - Answers lizards are ECTOTHERMS,
and use behavioral thermoregulation
define ectotherm - Answers their internal body temperatures are directly determined by their
immediate external environment
define behavioral thermoregulation - Answers maintains constant internal body temperature
what should mean body temperatures look like as a function of mean environmental
temperature - Answers thermoregulation: should look more scattered (brown anole bahamas)
thermoconformity: should look compacted (slender anole panama)
why do slender anoles (panama) thermoconform? - Answers because behavioral
thermoregulation would cost too much energy in the thermally homogenous environment of the
tropical rainforest understory
* in certain environments, conformity can be a more effective strategy than regulation
behavioral thermoregulation, like all processes that provide homeostasis to organisms, rely on -
Answers negative feedback
cytokine storm is an example of - Answers positive feedback
define positive feedback - Answers where the physiological process snowballs in response to
the stimulus
what is a cytokine storm - Answers where immune cells release signaling proteins called
cytokines which tell body to produce more immune cells which in turn release more cytokines,
and so on in a positive feedback loop
What are the 3 types of physiological responses to the external environment - Answers (fastest
response to slowest response)
1. acute changes
2. chronic changes
3. evolutionary changes
two forms of phenotypic plasticity - Answers acute changes and chronic changes
