1) Describe the
diversity of basic mechanisms by
which
animals move molecules (gases, nutrients, waste) throughout their
bodies.
2) Compare and
contrast an open circulatory
and closed circulatory system with respect to anatomy and
function.Why
do most large and endothermic animals have a closed circulatory
system?
Describe the evolutionary trends among animals associated with internal
transport systems as they relate to motility, metabolism, and
complexity.
3) Compare and
contrast the anatomy of the cardiovascular
system in each of the following groups of vertebrates: fishes,
reptiles
and amphibians, birds and mammals. Explain the physiological
significance
of each of these circulatory systems to metabolic rate and activity
level
of the animal.
4) Describe the
pathway of blood through the
mammalian
cardiovascular system, including the heart (chambers and valves),
pulmonary
and systemic circuits. What is systole? Diastole?
What is the condition (open vs. closed) of the heart valves during each
phase of the heart cycle?
5) Describe the
electrical excitation of the heart
by nodal tissue. Describe the spread of electrical
impulse,
during both the systolic and diastolic phases of heart muscle
contraction.
What controls the rate of impulse production by nodal tissue? How
does sympathetic and parasympathetic stimulation affect nodal tissue?
6) Describe the basic
structure of arteries,
veins
and capillaries. How are capillaries different from other
blood vessels? Describe the relationship between blood volume and
blood pressure? Describe the relationship between blood flow
velocity
and cross-sectional area of blood vessels.
7) What are pre-capillary
sphincters and
what
is their function in the body?
8) Describe the 3
mechanisms of exchange of
nutrients,
gases, waste, etc... between the blood in capillaries and surrounding
interstitial
fluid. If blood pressure is constantly filtering fluid from
capillaries,
how does blood volume remain constant? What is the function of
the
lymphatic
system and how does it act to maintain blood volume? What
might
cause fluids to accumulate outside the circulatory system?
9) What is blood
plasma? What kinds
of
molecules do we find dissolved in blood plasma? Why does blood
plasma
have a much higher concentration of proteins than interstitial fluid?
10) What are the
“cellular elements” of the
blood?
Which is most numerous? What is the BASIC function of each of
these
elements? What is a stem cell? Where might one find them?
11) What is
atherosclerosis and
arteriosclerosis?
What are the factors that contribute to these diseases? What role
does hypertension play in atherosclerosis and
arteriosclerosis?
In heart attacks?
12) Describe the
diversity of types of gas
exchange
organs used by aquatic and terrestrial animals.
13) What are the
advantages
and disadvantages of using water as the respiratory medium? How
do
the gas exchange organs of aquatic animals counteract these
disadvantages?
What do we mean by counter-current exchange and how does it
increase
the efficiency of gills of fishes? What are the
advantages
and disadvantages of using air as a respiratory medium? How do the gas
exchange organs of terrestrial animals counteract these disadvantages?
14) Describe the
pathway of air through the
respiratory
track of a mammal. What are alveoli? Describe the
anatomy
and function of alveoli and the capillaries that surround
alveoli.
How do mammals breathe (i.e. what draws air into and pushes air out of
the lungs)?
15) Compare and
contrast breathing
in birds to that of mammals with respect to how the lungs of birds
maximize
oxygenation of blood.
16) What is partial
pressure and how does
it
influence the loading and unloading of respiratory gases?
17) Describe the
general structure and function of
the respiratory pigment - hemoglobin. What is the oxygen
dissociation
curve and what factors alter hemoglobin’s affinity for oxygen?
18) How is carbon
dioxide transported in the
blood?
19) What are some adaptations the diving mammals have that allow them to stay under water for long periods of time?