Adaptations - Thermoregulation, Osmoregulation - Unsolved Practice Set
Chapter: Organisms and Populations | Topic: Adaptations Thermoregulation Osmoregulation
ADAPTATIONS - THERMOREGULATION, OSMOREGULATION - UNSOLVED PRACTICE SET
Topic: Adaptations Thermoregulation Osmoregulation
Multiple Choice Questions
Q1. Adaptation, in an ecological/evolutionary context, refers to:
- Any random change in an organism with no functional benefit
- A trait that helps an organism survive and reproduce successfully in its particular environment
- A trait that always harms the organism
- A permanent, unchangeable characteristic of every species
Q2. Animals that maintain a relatively constant internal body temperature regardless of external temperature, such as mammals and birds, are called:
- Ectotherms
- Endotherms
- Poikilotherms
- Stenotherms
Q3. Desert lizards regulating their body temperature primarily by basking in the sun or retreating to shade/burrows are demonstrating:
- Physiological thermoregulation only
- Behavioural thermoregulation
- No thermoregulation at all
- Osmoregulation
Q4. Osmoregulation refers to an organism's ability to:
- Regulate its body temperature
- Maintain a stable internal balance of water and dissolved salts (solutes)
- Regulate its blood sugar levels only
- Control its reproductive cycle
Q5. The kangaroo rat, a desert-dwelling rodent, is well adapted to survive with very little water intake mainly due to its ability to:
- Produce highly concentrated urine, minimising water loss
- Drink large amounts of water frequently
- Live only in aquatic environments
- Avoid all forms of osmoregulation
Short Answer Questions
Q6. Define thermoregulation, and differentiate between endotherms and ectotherms.
Q7. Give one example of a behavioural thermoregulation strategy used by a desert-dwelling animal.
Q8. Define osmoregulation, and explain why it is essential for an organism's survival.
Q9. How does the kangaroo rat's kidney adaptation help it survive in a water-scarce desert environment?
Long Answer Questions
Q10. Discuss thermoregulation as an adaptive strategy, comparing how endotherms and ectotherms manage their body temperature in varying environmental conditions.
Q11. Explain osmoregulation as an adaptive strategy, describing how different organisms, such as desert mammals and marine fish, maintain their internal water and salt balance.
APPLICATION / ANALYSIS
Q12. A migratory bird travels thousands of kilometres each year to escape extremely cold winter temperatures in its breeding region. Explain, using your understanding of thermoregulation, why migration can be considered an adaptive behavioural strategy for this species.
Q13. A marine fish living in salty ocean water and a freshwater fish living in a river face very different osmoregulatory challenges. Explain the key difference in the osmoregulatory problem each fish faces, based on the surrounding water's salt concentration relative to their body fluids.