BIO 370 - VERTEBRATE ZOOLOGY EXAM 2 QUESTIONS ANSWERED CORRECTLY LATEST
UPDATE 2025-2026
Freshwater fish are HYPERosmotic. What does this mean? - Answers Freshwater fish GAIN
water and LOSE ions. (Na+, Cl-) This is done so that the fish maintains an osmolality similar to
that of its surroundings.
Seawater fish are HYPOosmotic. What does this mean? - Answers Seawater fish LOSE water
and GAIN ions. This is done so that the fish maintains an osmolality similar to that of its
surroundings.
What portion of the fish is responsible for maintaining osmolality? - Answers the Gills and
kidneys
Is it freshwater fish or seawater fish that actually drink water? - Answers Seawater fish, this is
done to prevent dehydration
Do freshwater fish drink water? - Answers No. They get too much water from osmosis already.
Many vertebrates are ECTOTHERMS. What does this mean? - Answers They gain/lose heat from
outside
Some (aquatic mammals) are ENDOTHERMS. What does this mean? - Answers They generate
and regulate heat internally.
Some ECTOTHERMS use REGIONAL HETEROTHERMY. What is this? - Answers Different parts
of the body are at different temperatures. This is done by retaining heat produced by working
muscles.
True or False: Billfish and mackerel use heater cells behind their eyes to induce regional
heterothermy (keep different parts of the body at different temperatures) - Answers True
What is the problematic molecule that is a byproduct of protein and nucleic acid degradation? -
Answers Ammonia (NH4)
What is the elimination of ammonia with water in aquatic animals called? - Answers
Ammonotely
What is the main waste product of mammals? - Answers Urea
What is the excretion of urea called? - Answers Ureotely
What is the main waste product of reptiles(including birds)? - Answers Uric Acid
What is a benefit for mammals for excreting mostly urea instead of ammonia? - Answers Urea
requires much less water than ammonia to eliminate
, What is the elimination of uric acid called? - Answers Uricotely
What main nitrogenous waste would you expect a tadpole (Hint: aquatic) to produce? - Answers
Ammonia
What main nitrogenous waste would you expect a frog (Hint: Terrestrial) to produce? - Answers
Urea
What are Chondrichthyans? - Answers Cartilaginous Fish (No bones, but have mineralized
cartilage)
Is a cartigliginous skeleton and lipid-rich liver characteristic of Chondrichthyans or
Osteichthyans? - Answers Chondrichthyans (ie cartilaginous fish)
What is a benefit of having a skeleton of cartilage instead of bone? - Answers Cartilage is more
buoyant.
Do Sharks have a swim bladder? - Answers No instead, they produce an abundant amount of oil
in their liver.
What are the two subclasses of Class Chondrichthyan? - Answers Neoselachii (sharks, skates,
and rays) and Holocephali (ratfishes)
True or False: Sharks have placoid scales, which is dermal bone. - Answers True.
Sharks possess "ampullae of Lorenzini" concentrated on their rostrum, which is used to_______.
- Answers Detect prey, sense temperature, and in navigation
Sharks possess tapetum lucidum, which is a ________ - Answers reflector behind the retina,
allowing better vision in low light
Sharks possess a lateral line that contains _________, which makes them sensitive to vibrations
and helps them detect changes in current - Answers neuromasts
Sharks have a __________ behind their jaw, which allows their jaw to open out and back, allowing
them to bite large prey. - Answers The hyomandibula. This is an example of CRANIAL KINESIS
(mobility in the head skeleton)
What is cranial kinesis? - Answers mobility in the head skeleton
Sharks have a tooth whorl. What does that mean? - Answers Teeth are constantly being grown
and shed, allowing teeth to be shed as they are being worn out.
What is a spiracle? - Answers A remnant of ancestral vertebrates first gill slit.
What are the two orders of sharks? - Answers Squalomorpha (dogfish and basking sharks) and
Galeomorpha (whale shark, great white, hammerhead, nurse shark)
UPDATE 2025-2026
Freshwater fish are HYPERosmotic. What does this mean? - Answers Freshwater fish GAIN
water and LOSE ions. (Na+, Cl-) This is done so that the fish maintains an osmolality similar to
that of its surroundings.
Seawater fish are HYPOosmotic. What does this mean? - Answers Seawater fish LOSE water
and GAIN ions. This is done so that the fish maintains an osmolality similar to that of its
surroundings.
What portion of the fish is responsible for maintaining osmolality? - Answers the Gills and
kidneys
Is it freshwater fish or seawater fish that actually drink water? - Answers Seawater fish, this is
done to prevent dehydration
Do freshwater fish drink water? - Answers No. They get too much water from osmosis already.
Many vertebrates are ECTOTHERMS. What does this mean? - Answers They gain/lose heat from
outside
Some (aquatic mammals) are ENDOTHERMS. What does this mean? - Answers They generate
and regulate heat internally.
Some ECTOTHERMS use REGIONAL HETEROTHERMY. What is this? - Answers Different parts
of the body are at different temperatures. This is done by retaining heat produced by working
muscles.
True or False: Billfish and mackerel use heater cells behind their eyes to induce regional
heterothermy (keep different parts of the body at different temperatures) - Answers True
What is the problematic molecule that is a byproduct of protein and nucleic acid degradation? -
Answers Ammonia (NH4)
What is the elimination of ammonia with water in aquatic animals called? - Answers
Ammonotely
What is the main waste product of mammals? - Answers Urea
What is the excretion of urea called? - Answers Ureotely
What is the main waste product of reptiles(including birds)? - Answers Uric Acid
What is a benefit for mammals for excreting mostly urea instead of ammonia? - Answers Urea
requires much less water than ammonia to eliminate
, What is the elimination of uric acid called? - Answers Uricotely
What main nitrogenous waste would you expect a tadpole (Hint: aquatic) to produce? - Answers
Ammonia
What main nitrogenous waste would you expect a frog (Hint: Terrestrial) to produce? - Answers
Urea
What are Chondrichthyans? - Answers Cartilaginous Fish (No bones, but have mineralized
cartilage)
Is a cartigliginous skeleton and lipid-rich liver characteristic of Chondrichthyans or
Osteichthyans? - Answers Chondrichthyans (ie cartilaginous fish)
What is a benefit of having a skeleton of cartilage instead of bone? - Answers Cartilage is more
buoyant.
Do Sharks have a swim bladder? - Answers No instead, they produce an abundant amount of oil
in their liver.
What are the two subclasses of Class Chondrichthyan? - Answers Neoselachii (sharks, skates,
and rays) and Holocephali (ratfishes)
True or False: Sharks have placoid scales, which is dermal bone. - Answers True.
Sharks possess "ampullae of Lorenzini" concentrated on their rostrum, which is used to_______.
- Answers Detect prey, sense temperature, and in navigation
Sharks possess tapetum lucidum, which is a ________ - Answers reflector behind the retina,
allowing better vision in low light
Sharks possess a lateral line that contains _________, which makes them sensitive to vibrations
and helps them detect changes in current - Answers neuromasts
Sharks have a __________ behind their jaw, which allows their jaw to open out and back, allowing
them to bite large prey. - Answers The hyomandibula. This is an example of CRANIAL KINESIS
(mobility in the head skeleton)
What is cranial kinesis? - Answers mobility in the head skeleton
Sharks have a tooth whorl. What does that mean? - Answers Teeth are constantly being grown
and shed, allowing teeth to be shed as they are being worn out.
What is a spiracle? - Answers A remnant of ancestral vertebrates first gill slit.
What are the two orders of sharks? - Answers Squalomorpha (dogfish and basking sharks) and
Galeomorpha (whale shark, great white, hammerhead, nurse shark)
