Question

Toads, Monitor lizards, Camels, walk out of the desert and into a pub in the Australian outback. There, over cold pints of Toohey’s and Cooper’s, they regale other pub patrons with stories how they survived an extremely hot and dry summer season.Fill in their narrative, using your understanding of terrestrial these animals’ thermo- and osmoregulation.

Answer 1

• Thermoregulation and osmoregulation are parts of maintaining homeostasis in the body.
• Homeostasis means, “Homeo” is same and “Stasis” is state. Thus, homeostasis is the ability of the body to establish a relatively steady state between the internal environment of the body with the external environment.
• Thermoregulation aims at maintaining a desired temperature in body.
• Osmoregulation is maintaining water and electrolyte balance in body.

• Thermoregulation and osmoregulation are parts of maintaining homeostasis in the body.
• Homeostasis means, “Homeo” is same and “Stasis” is state. Thus, homeostasis is the ability of the body to establish a relatively steady state between the internal environment of the body with the external environment.
• Thermoregulation aims at maintaining a desired temperature in body.
• Osmoregulation is maintaining water and electrolyte balance in body.

Terrestrial animals may be-

a) Ectotherms or cold-blooded- have similar body temperature as environment.

b) Endotherms or warm blooded- maintain a constant body temperature.

· Among the mentioned animals: Toads, monitor, lizards are cold-blooded, while camels warm-blooded.

· But, as all the animals have desert as habitat, they have similar hot climate.

· Water is lost during high temperature by conservation of body fluid may be done by:

1. Water-proof covering like scales in retiles, hair in mammals, keratin, cuticle of epidermis,

2. Selective water reabsorption and excretion: Water is reabsorbed in cloaca or by kidneys as per requirement. Excretion of uric acid in animals (like reptiles) also helps in its storage and water absorption.

3. Use of metabolic water: Animals (like camel) have body lipid reservoir that can be metabolized during water shortage.

· Sheltering in shade, fanning, spraying water can also bring down body temperature and reserve fluid.

· Water and other fluid consumption act as coolant and help in reducing body heat and restoration of the body fluid.