BIO 2A03 FINAL EXAM PREP (QUIZBANK) | 610 QUESTIONS AND
ANSWERS | 2026 UPDATE | WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS.
What are two factors that influence phenotypes? Answer - genetics and the
environment in both adulthood and development
What can physiological variation lead to? Answer - it can influence
performance and reproductive success -> physiology evolved over time
(because environments change) and contributes to animal biodiversity
What are the unifying themes in physiology? Answer - 1- Integrative
2- Obeys the laws of chemistry and physics
3- physiological processes are often regulated
4- Physiological processes are shaped by evolution
How is physiology integrative? Answer - looks are how organisms work across
multiple levels of biological organization -> understanding it helps us
understand ecology and conservation eg. Porcelain crabs being impacted by
the climate change because warming temperatures impact their heart's
function
How does physiology obey the laws of chemistry and physics? Answer -
physiology relies on processes like diffusion for instance diffusion of oxygen to
cells in organisms. Knowing that diffusion is important that helps us understand
the effects of temperature on physiology (things like enzyme kinetics or how
,electrical potentials work). Understanding physics and electricity. Things like
mechanical theory with flow pressure resistance and tissue properties
Why do larger animals have proportionally thicker limb bones than smaller
animals? Answer - bone strength is determined by bone diameter. larger
animals have a larger volume and therefore to support more weight they need
thicker bones
What two strategies fo animals use to cope with chaining conditions the
external environment? Do they strictly have to follow these strategies? Answer
- Either regulation or conforming. not necessarily, they can be regulators for
some physiological parameters but conformers for some others
What is an example of an animal utilizes both regulation and conformity?
Answer - lizards conform to external temperature, but regulate internal salt
concentration
what is the strategy of a regulatory animal? Answer - maintain relatively
constant internal conditions?
what is the strategy of a conformer animal? Answer - allow internal condition
to change
What is homeostasis Answer - refers to the maintenance of internal bodily
conditions during environmental or there perturbations
how is homeostasis often maintained? Answer - either through negative
feedback loops or antagonistic controls
,how do negative feedback loops work? provide an example Answer - there a
detection of change is the regulated variable and then there is a response of
the regulatory system to oppose the change -> blood glucose level is regulated
via a negative feedback loop:
when it rises following a meal an error signal increases leading to a regulatory
mechanism to be activation causing the level of glucose in the blood to
decrease and thereby decreases the error signal
How do antagonistic controls work?provide and an example Answer - they
exert opposite effects and often provide fine-tunes regulation at a 'set point'
(e.g. mammalian body temperature, regulated at 37 degrees)
when body temperature increases -> heat dissipation mechanisms are active
and heat production mechanisms are shut off -> this allows for fine tunes
regulation at a set point
What do animals often (though not always) do in response to prolonged
changes in the environment to improve function? Answer - They will remodel
their physiology machinery in order to perform better in the new environment.
what is acclimatization? Answer - this occurs in adults in response to natural
environmental variation and is usually reversible
what is the difference between acclimatization and acclimation? Answer -
same as above, but in response to a controlled change in a lab environment
what is developmental plasticity? Answer - refers to change synth nervous
system in response to environmental stimulation that occurs during
development and due to learning -> this occurs in early life and can often be
irreversible
, Difference between cold and warm acclimated zebrafish in terms of maximum
sustainable swimming speed? Answer - when warm acclimated (28 degrees)
are placed in cold water (18 degrees) their maximum suitable swimming speed
is significantly lower than cold acclimated fish.
What is the Cambrian explosion, how is it important for understanding
physiology? Answer - multicellular animals arose 500-600 million years ago
and all animal phyla were establishsed. The earliest animals possessed many
features necessary for the later evolution of other animals groups
What features are necessary for the later evolution of other animal groups?
Answer - district tissues (cnidarians, like jelly fish) -> discrete body cavities,
centralization of nervous system, gut (early bilaterians)
When did the earliest chordate arise and what was it called? Answer - Arose in
the Cambrian, called Pikaia
How are physiological processes shaped by evolution? Answer - diversification
in form and function is a result of evolution -> can change homologous
phenotypes (those sharing common ancestry) to carry out distinct functions ->
convergent evolution in unrelated taxa can lead to similar phenotypes with
similar functions (analogous phenotypes)
how are the results of evolution reflected in the diversification of form Answer
- structural differences of in intestines are adaptive in animals based on what
predominantly formulates their diet
How can kinetic and potential energy be in different forms in biological
systems? Answer - Radiant (sun), mechanical (movement), electrical (nerve
impulse), thermal (respiration), chemical (glucose)
ANSWERS | 2026 UPDATE | WITH COMPLETE SOLUTIONS.
What are two factors that influence phenotypes? Answer - genetics and the
environment in both adulthood and development
What can physiological variation lead to? Answer - it can influence
performance and reproductive success -> physiology evolved over time
(because environments change) and contributes to animal biodiversity
What are the unifying themes in physiology? Answer - 1- Integrative
2- Obeys the laws of chemistry and physics
3- physiological processes are often regulated
4- Physiological processes are shaped by evolution
How is physiology integrative? Answer - looks are how organisms work across
multiple levels of biological organization -> understanding it helps us
understand ecology and conservation eg. Porcelain crabs being impacted by
the climate change because warming temperatures impact their heart's
function
How does physiology obey the laws of chemistry and physics? Answer -
physiology relies on processes like diffusion for instance diffusion of oxygen to
cells in organisms. Knowing that diffusion is important that helps us understand
the effects of temperature on physiology (things like enzyme kinetics or how
,electrical potentials work). Understanding physics and electricity. Things like
mechanical theory with flow pressure resistance and tissue properties
Why do larger animals have proportionally thicker limb bones than smaller
animals? Answer - bone strength is determined by bone diameter. larger
animals have a larger volume and therefore to support more weight they need
thicker bones
What two strategies fo animals use to cope with chaining conditions the
external environment? Do they strictly have to follow these strategies? Answer
- Either regulation or conforming. not necessarily, they can be regulators for
some physiological parameters but conformers for some others
What is an example of an animal utilizes both regulation and conformity?
Answer - lizards conform to external temperature, but regulate internal salt
concentration
what is the strategy of a regulatory animal? Answer - maintain relatively
constant internal conditions?
what is the strategy of a conformer animal? Answer - allow internal condition
to change
What is homeostasis Answer - refers to the maintenance of internal bodily
conditions during environmental or there perturbations
how is homeostasis often maintained? Answer - either through negative
feedback loops or antagonistic controls
,how do negative feedback loops work? provide an example Answer - there a
detection of change is the regulated variable and then there is a response of
the regulatory system to oppose the change -> blood glucose level is regulated
via a negative feedback loop:
when it rises following a meal an error signal increases leading to a regulatory
mechanism to be activation causing the level of glucose in the blood to
decrease and thereby decreases the error signal
How do antagonistic controls work?provide and an example Answer - they
exert opposite effects and often provide fine-tunes regulation at a 'set point'
(e.g. mammalian body temperature, regulated at 37 degrees)
when body temperature increases -> heat dissipation mechanisms are active
and heat production mechanisms are shut off -> this allows for fine tunes
regulation at a set point
What do animals often (though not always) do in response to prolonged
changes in the environment to improve function? Answer - They will remodel
their physiology machinery in order to perform better in the new environment.
what is acclimatization? Answer - this occurs in adults in response to natural
environmental variation and is usually reversible
what is the difference between acclimatization and acclimation? Answer -
same as above, but in response to a controlled change in a lab environment
what is developmental plasticity? Answer - refers to change synth nervous
system in response to environmental stimulation that occurs during
development and due to learning -> this occurs in early life and can often be
irreversible
, Difference between cold and warm acclimated zebrafish in terms of maximum
sustainable swimming speed? Answer - when warm acclimated (28 degrees)
are placed in cold water (18 degrees) their maximum suitable swimming speed
is significantly lower than cold acclimated fish.
What is the Cambrian explosion, how is it important for understanding
physiology? Answer - multicellular animals arose 500-600 million years ago
and all animal phyla were establishsed. The earliest animals possessed many
features necessary for the later evolution of other animals groups
What features are necessary for the later evolution of other animal groups?
Answer - district tissues (cnidarians, like jelly fish) -> discrete body cavities,
centralization of nervous system, gut (early bilaterians)
When did the earliest chordate arise and what was it called? Answer - Arose in
the Cambrian, called Pikaia
How are physiological processes shaped by evolution? Answer - diversification
in form and function is a result of evolution -> can change homologous
phenotypes (those sharing common ancestry) to carry out distinct functions ->
convergent evolution in unrelated taxa can lead to similar phenotypes with
similar functions (analogous phenotypes)
how are the results of evolution reflected in the diversification of form Answer
- structural differences of in intestines are adaptive in animals based on what
predominantly formulates their diet
How can kinetic and potential energy be in different forms in biological
systems? Answer - Radiant (sun), mechanical (movement), electrical (nerve
impulse), thermal (respiration), chemical (glucose)
