Midterm II – ZOOL 241 – Nov 4th, 2022

1. Filtration, secretion and reabsorption – the hallmark of the kidney or kidney like systems of
animals. Why bother having filtration when you then have to take things back? Use an example.
(2)
ANS. Taking things back allows you to modify the excreta. Eg. Insects take back salt or water
(rectal pad or rectal papilla).
2. In review, it was asked – what is so costly about being an osmoconformer? Provide one
potential reason. (1)
ANS. Invest in multiple enzymes to do one thing… being a generalist but not a high performer…
Km not as tightly regulated thus different reaction rates.
3. Variation is what permits life to exist as the world changes. We had two examples of where
selection can act to refine a survival ability. Provide one example and how it led change. (2)
ANS. Fly and desiccation selection; rats and running selection.
4. Exercise training can fairly rapidly increase VO2 MAX. How does it do so? Provide two specific
means. (2)
ANS. Table 9.5. increase CS, CO, blood T; also capillary density, # of fast oxidative fibres, etc.
5. If blennies are being displaced northerly over time, is this because they are a homeotherm?
Argue one way. (2)
ANS. By moving north as Ta warms, they are expressing some degree of behavioural
thermoregulation, so to some degree, homeothermy.
6. Directly from your notes: regarding the classic acclimation vs acute temperature change
paradigm shown in environmental physiology, what does acclimation mean for heat production,
in cold adapted animals? (2)
ANS. Heat production is up in cold adaptation… means it is higher if T acutely changed.
7. Km is held constant with evolution. Hypothesize why? (2)
ANS. Holds reaction rate constant. Means organisms in different environments all perform
about the same.
8. UCP-1 makes for a nice sweater. Explain please, from the small to the big (protein to animal). (2)
ANS. Uncoupling protein 1 in inner mitochondrial membrane allows protons to move down their
gradient without doing work. It is used in brown adipose tissue that forms a turtleneck that
heats blood moving to head.
9. Speculate why an artiodactyl would need a carotid rete mirable whereas a wolf would not? Both
have long noses after all. So…? (2)
ANS. Answer to everything: SA/vol ratio. Large reindeer needs to cool blood to brain; wolf does
not.
10. What was so interesting about the Opah? What is it characterized in terms of heat
production/Tb? (2)
ANS. Endotherm, but poikilotherm.
11. What happens to the gill of an anadromous fish when it moves into saltwater? Be specific to the
changes at cellular/protein level. (2)
ANS. Upregulates Na+/K+ ATPase and NKCC to get rid of salt.
12. An MRR cell of a teleost achieves one half of the battle with salt. Which is what? What achieves
the rest, exactly? (2)
ANS. Cl- transport. Paracellular movement of Na+.
 13. Blue crabs have crazy high internal osmolarity. How does this help them in their lives in
estuaries? Use appropriate terminology. (2)
ANS. They are hyperosmotic mostly, so hold onto salt when in FW… isosmotic as full SW invades,
and so hold on to their water as tide comes in.
14. VO2 can vary with habitat niche (e.g. arid vs mesic). Why would VO2 be lower in arid species? (2)
ANS. Need less food, conserve water (resp. water loos likely the same – so breathe less).
15. Podocytes have foot processes that help form filtration slits in the glomerulus. What are these
good at and what are they bad at? What counteracts this? (3)
ANS. Good at keeping protein in; bad at keeping sugar and amino acids in. Transporters (e.g.
NA+/glucose cotransporter) in proximal tubule take back valuable organics.
16. Aquaporin is under the control of vasopressin (ADH). How does an increase in ADH lead to water
retention (what is the pathway)? (2)
ANS. ADH activates GPCR, AP translocated to collecting duct (cell apical surface), water taken
back (transcellular).
17. Why would an animal evolved to live in the desert, such as a K-rat, want such a large renal
papilla? Seems costly. (2)
ANS. Longer papilla, longer loops of Henle = greater salt gradient = more ability to concentrate
water.
18. When an insect such as a locust is fed saline water, how exactly does it not get desiccated (dry
out)? What structures and their functions allow it? (2)
ANS. Malpighian tubules remove salt; rectal pads leave the salt in the feces.
19. What is a countercurrent multiplier. Give an example. (2)
ANS. Active transport used to pump ions against their gradient; salt moves in opposite flow to
blood. E.g. rectal papilla, salt glands, …?
20. If ammonia is so inexpensive to produce, why bother being ureotelic? (2)
ANS. Ammonia is toxic, urea is not (so much). Ammonia is only good when it can diffuse out gills;
urea can be stored.

Bonus. Why are endotherms all around 40°C? Provide one rationalized explanation.