Question 1

Which of the following best describes the difference between an endotherm and an ectotherm?

Accepted Answer

Endotherms use metabolic heat to maintain a stable body temperature, while ectotherms adjust their body temperature using environmental energy.

Question 2

An animal exchanges heat with its environment through several mechanisms. Which process is most directly affected by the humidity gradient?

Accepted Answer

Evaporation

Question 3

Given the equation for heat flow via conduction $$Q = KA \frac{(T_s - T_a)}{D}$$, which variable would increase heat loss if all other factors remain constant?

Accepted Answer

Increasing the temperature difference $$(T_s - T_a)$$

Question 4

A largemouth bass is placed in water that gradually increases in temperature from 10°C to 30°C. What will happen to its body temperature?

Accepted Answer

It will increase in parallel with the water temperature.

Question 5

Which of the following is a correct statement about metabolic rate and body mass, as shown in the equation $$\frac{MR}{Mass} = \frac{aM^b}{Mass}$$?

Accepted Answer

Mass-specific metabolic rate decreases as body mass increases.

Question 6

Which of the following animals is most likely to be a temperature regulator rather than a temperature conformer?

Accepted Answer

River otter

Question 7

The latent heat of vaporization for water is $$2256 	ext{ kJ/kg}. If an $$animal loses 0.5 kg of water through evaporation, how much heat is lost?

Accepted Answer

$$1128 	ext{ kJ}$$

Question 8

Which of the following is NOT a direct mode of heat transfer between an animal and its environment?

Accepted Answer

Metabolic heat production

Question 9

If the basal metabolic rate (BMR) of a resting, fasted human is measured at 70 kcal/hour, what is the primary fate of most of this energy?

Accepted Answer

It is lost as heat to the environment.

Question 10

Which of the following best explains why small mammals like shrews have higher mass-specific metabolic rates than large mammals like elephants?

Accepted Answer

Small mammals lose heat more rapidly and must generate more metabolic heat per unit mass.

Question 11

The van’t Hoff equation for temperature response is $$Q_{10} = \frac{MR_2$}{MR_1$}^{10/(T_2$-T_1$)}. If$$ $$MR_1 = 50$ at T_1$ = 20^\circ C$$ and $$MR_2 = 100$ at T_2$ = 30^\circ C$$, what is $$Q_{10}$$?

Accepted Answer

$$Q_{10} = 2$$

Question 12

Which of the following statements about the energy budget of an animal is correct?

Accepted Answer

Some energy is lost in feces and nitrogenous waste before cellular respiration.

Question 13

Which of the following would most likely increase the rate of heat loss from an animal by convection?

Accepted Answer

Increasing the speed of wind across the animal’s body

Question 14

Which animal would you expect to spend the greatest proportion of its energy budget on thermoregulation, based on the pie charts provided?

Accepted Answer

Adélie penguin

Question 15

If a river otter is exposed to a drop in ambient temperature from 20°C to 0°C, what physiological response is most likely to occur?

Accepted Answer

It will increase its metabolic rate to maintain a constant body temperature.

Question 16

Which of the following is a real-world example of heat loss by conduction?

Accepted Answer

A rabbit lying on cool ground

Question 17

Why is the efficiency of ATP production from glucose oxidation in animals only about 41%?

Accepted Answer

Most of the energy is lost as heat during cellular respiration.

Question 18

Which of the following would be the best indirect method to measure an animal’s metabolic rate?

Accepted Answer

Measuring oxygen consumption using open flow respirometry

Question 19

A frog’s metabolic rate increases with ambient temperature. If its metabolic rate at 10°C is 20 units and at 20°C is 40 units, what is its $$Q_{10}$$ value?

Accepted Answer

$$Q_{10} = 2$$

Animal Bioenergetics and Thermoregulation

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