BSC 2011- General Biology II Peer-Led Team Learning

Workshop #9 Chapters 33 & 32

Animal Nutrition, The Digestive System, and Osmoregulation
1. Create a flowchart that summarizes the steps in digestion in a complete processing gut (ingestion, storage, physical and chemical
digestion, absorption of biomolecules, ions, and water; elimination). Explain how the steps fit together and how each one contributes
to the overall function. How are the steps somewhat different in different animals, e.g. mammals vs. birds?

2. Compare the general features of the digestive tract of an herbivore and a carnivore. Explain how the type(s) of teeth (or analogous
mouthparts), the length of the digestive tract, the use of the coelom, and the presence of auxiliary chambers are adaptations to an
animal’s diet.

3. Comparing sponges to cnidarians, one big innovation was the evolution of the gastrovascular cavity. What is the significance of that
change?

4. What are the roles of bacteria and archaea in animal digestive systems? How does the gut microbiome change under different
conditions?
5. What are some of the advantages and disadvantages of endothermy and ectothermy? Humans have a body temperature of 37°C
(98.6°F), yet we are uncomfortably hot when our surroundings are at that temperature—why?

6. Why is homeostasis described as a dynamic process? Use temperature control or osmolarity control to explain and diagram how
organisms maintain homeostasis despite changes in the external environment. How does negative feedback function in this process?

7. How is osmoregulation different for a marine fish, a freshwater fish, a mammal, and a bird? Answer in terms of the main challenges
they face and how they solved them. Include anatomy and physiology in your discussion.

8. a. Explain how the mammalian kidney discards nitrogenous waste while conserving water. Use as examples: desert mammals that
tend to have very long loops of Henle and don’t need to drink water, and mammals living in or near freshwater that have short loops of
Henle and do drink water.

b. At Thanksgiving dinner, your uncle drinks too many glasses of wine and he constantly has to go to the bathroom. How is alcohol
consumption related to his bathroom frequency? If you don’t know, hypothesize given your knowledge of the human nephron.