Environmental Physiology of Animals

by Willmer, Pat; Stone, Graham; Johnston, Ian

• ISBN13: 9781405107242
• ISBN10: 1405107243
• Edition: 2nd
• Format: Hardcover
• Copyright: 2004-12-10
• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell

Summary

This new and updated edition, with two entirely new chapters, provides a comprehensive coverage of the comparative physiology of animals, in a strongly environmental context. It provides full analysis of the basic principles of physiological adaptations, in both vertebrates and invertebrates. It now also includes new chapters on the control systems (nervous and sensory systems, muscles, and hormones) and how they allow integration with the environment, suitable for introductory courses on excitable tissues But it is unique in also providing detailed and integrated reviews of how animals sense, react to and cope with particular environments - the marine and freshwater worlds, the particularly challenging seashore and estuarine zones, the different kinds of terrestrial habitat, and the parasitic environment. In this way, physiology is for the first time properly integrated with ecological principles and with behavioural responses used by animals in coping with environmental challenges. The book provides a stand-alone core text for undergraduate courses in comparative physiology, animal physiology, or environmental physiology, but also provides key material for integrating across modules in any environmental biology degree.

Author Biography

Pat Willmer began her research career in neurobiology at Cambridge, progressively switching to broader interests in invertebrate physiology and the interactions of physiology, ecology, and behavior. Her current interests at St Andrews mainly focus on insect environmental physiology, and effects on insect–plant interactions.

Graham Stone began his research career in entomology at Oxford, progressively switching to broader aspects of the biology of insect–plant interactions. His current interests at Edinburgh mainly focus on pollination ecology (particularly of Acacia communities in Africa) and the biology of oak gallwasps.

Ian A. Johnston began his research career at Hull and Bristol. His research group at St Andrews is currently utilizing genomic, molecular, physiological, structural, and whole organism approaches to investigate muscle development and growth in teleost fish, with particular reference to temperature adaptation and the evolution of Antarctic and Arctic species.

Table of Contents

Preface to Second Edition	p. viii
Preface to First Edition	p. ix
Acknowledgments	p. x
Abbreviations	p. xi
Basic Principles
The Nature and Levels of Adaptation	p. 3
Introduction: comparative, environmental, and evolutionary physiology	p. 3
The meaning of "environment"	p. 4
The meaning of "adaptation"	p. 6
Comparative methods to detect adaptation	p. 7
Physiological response on different scales	p. 8
Conclusions	p. 15
Further reading	p. 15
Fundamental Mechanisms of Adaptation	p. 17
Introduction: adaptation at the molecular and genome level	p. 17
Controlling protein action	p. 17
Control of protein synthesis and degradation	p. 20
Protein evolution	p. 26
Physiological regulation of gene expression	p. 28
Conclusions	p. 35
Further reading	p. 35
The Problems of Size and Scale	p. 36
Introduction	p. 36
Principle of similarity: isometric scaling	p. 36
Allometric scaling	p. 37
Scaling of metabolic rate	p. 40
Scaling of locomotion	p. 42
Conclusions: is there a right size to be?	p. 46
Further reading	p. 47
Central Issues in Comparative Physiology
Water, Ions, and Osmotic Physiology	p. 51
Introduction	p. 51
Aqueous solutions	p. 51
Passive movements of water and solutes	p. 55
Nonpassive solute movements	p. 61
Concentrations of cell contents	p. 70
Overall regulation of cell contents	p. 71
Conclusions	p. 74
Further reading	p. 74
Animal Water Balance, Osmoregulation, and Excretion	p. 76
Introduction	p. 76
Exchanges occurring at the outer body surface	p. 80
Osmoregulation at external surfaces	p. 84
Osmoregulatory organs and their excretory products	p. 88
Water regulation via the gut	p. 102
Regulation of respiratory water exchanges	p. 103
Water loss in reproductive systems	p. 105
Water gain	p. 107
Costs and energetics of regulating water and ion balance	p. 108
Roles of nervous systems and hormones	p. 109
Conclusions	p. 109
Further reading	p. 110
Metabolism and Energy Supply	p. 112
Introduction	p. 112
Metabolic intermediaries	p. 112
Anaerobic metabolic pathways	p. 115
Aerobic metabolism	p. 119
Metabolic rates	p. 126
Energy budgets	p. 133
Further reading	p. 139
Respiration and Circulation	p. 141
Introduction	p. 141
Uptake and loss of gases across respiratory surfaces	p. 144
Ventilation systems to improve exchange rates	p. 149
Circulatory systems	p. 154
Delivering and transferring gases to the tissues	p. 162
Coping with hypoxia and anoxia	p. 169
Control of respiration	p. 170
Further reading	p. 173
Temperature and its Effects	p. 175
Introduction	p. 175
Biochemical effects of temperature	p. 176
Physiological effects of temperature	p. 183
Terminology and strategies in thermal biology	p. 188
Thermal environments and thermal exchanges	p. 192
Avoidance, tolerance, and acclimation in thermal biology	p. 196
Regulating heat gain and keeping warm	p. 202
Regulating heat loss and keeping cool	p. 208
Opting out: evasion systems in space or time	p. 212
Regulating thermal biology: nerves and hormones	p. 217
Evolution and advantages of varying thermal strategies	p. 218
Further reading	p. 221
Excitable Tissues: Nervous Systems and Muscles	p. 223
Introduction	p. 223
Nerves
Neural functioning	p. 223
Synaptic transmission	p. 232
Nervous systems	p. 247
Neural integration and higher neural processes	p. 254
Neuronal development	p. 261
Sensory systems: mechanisms and principles	p. 266
Specific senses and sense organs	p. 268
Muscles
Muscles and movement: introduction	p. 290
Muscle structure	p. 291
Muscle contraction	p. 298
Muscle mechanics	p. 305
Muscle types and diversity	p. 312
Nerves and muscles working together
Motor activity patterns	p. 318
Locomotion using muscles	p. 325
Conclusions	p. 340
Further reading	p. 340
Hormones and Chemical Control Systems	p. 342
Introduction	p. 342
Endocrine systems	p. 347
Control of water and osmotic balance	p. 360
Control of ion balance and pH	p. 363
Control of development and growth	p. 364
Control of metabolism, temperature, and color	p. 370
Control of sex and reproduction	p. 372
Hormones and other behaviors: aggression, territoriality, and migration	p. 381
Pheromones and the control of behavior	p. 381
Conclusions	p. 386
Further reading	p. 387
Coping With the Environment
Introduction	p. 391
Marine Life	p. 393
Introduction: marine habitats and biota	p. 393
Ionic and osmotic adaptation	p. 396
Thermal adaptation	p. 400
Respiratory adaptation	p. 408
Reproductive and life-cycle adaptation	p. 411
Depth problems, buoyancy, and locomotion	p. 415
Sensory issues: marine signaling	p. 423
Feeding and being fed on	p. 429
Anthropogenic problems	p. 430
Secondary invasion of the seas: marine vertebrates	p. 432
Conclusions	p. 442
Further reading	p. 442
Shorelines and Estuaries	p. 444
Introduction: brackish habitats and biota	p. 444
Ionic and osmotic adaptation and water balance	p. 455
Thermal adaptation	p. 466
Respiratory adaptation	p. 471
Reproductive and life-cycle adaptation	p. 475
Mechanical, locomotory, and sensory systems	p. 476
Feeding and being fed on	p. 480
Anthropogenic problems	p. 481
Conclusions	p. 483
Further reading	p. 485
Fresh Water	p. 487
Introduction: freshwater habitats and biota	p. 487
Ionic and osmotic adaptation and water balance	p. 495
Thermal adaptation	p. 502
Respiratory adaptation	p. 505
Reproductive and life-cycle adaptation	p. 511
Mechanical, locomotory, and sensory adaptations	p. 514
Feeding and being fed on	p. 515
Anthropogenic problems	p. 518
Conclusions	p. 524
Further reading	p. 525
Special Aquatic Habitats	p. 526
Introduction	p. 526
Transient water bodies	p. 526
Osmotically peculiar habitats	p. 529
Thermally extreme waters	p. 535
Further reading	p. 539
Terrestrial Life	p. 541
Introduction	p. 541
Ionic and osmotic adaptation and water balance	p. 552
Thermal adaptation	p. 565
Respiratory adaptation	p. 581
Reproductive and life-cycle adaptation	p. 586
Locomotion and mechanical adaptations	p. 596
Sensory adaptations	p. 599
Feeding and being fed on	p. 602
Anthropogenic problems	p. 609
Conclusions	p. 617
Further reading	p. 618
Extreme Terrestrial Habitats	p. 620
Introduction	p. 620
Hot and dry habitats: deserts	p. 621
Very cold habitats	p. 645
High-altitude habitats	p. 663
Aerial habitats	p. 671
Conclusions	p. 673
Further reading	p. 673
Parasitic Habitats	p. 675
Introduction	p. 675
Parasite environments	p. 677
Basic parasite physiology	p. 680
Reproduction and transmission	p. 688
Parasite sensory abilities	p. 692
Parasite regulation of host physiology	p. 694
Biotic interactions: host-parasite conflicts	p. 696
Conclusions	p. 704
Further reading	p. 705
References	p. 706
Index	p. 713
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