Question

28. What is an advantage/ disadvantage of being a homeotherm? (2)

30. What is an advantage/ disadvantage being an osmoconformer?

Answer 1

28-Homeotherm

Homeothermy is thermoregulation that maintains a stable internal body temperature regardless of external influence.

Advantages

homeothermic animals can maintain its constant body temperature even in freezing cold weather.

(In homeotherm enzymes have a relatively narrow temperature range at which their efficiencies are optimal. Temperatures outside this range can greatly reduce the rate of a reaction or stop it altogether. A creature with a fairly constant body temperature can therefore specialize in enzymes which are efficient at that particular temperature.)

Disadvantages

The energy required to maintain the homeothermic temperature comes from food. This results in homeothermic animals needing to eat much more food than poikilothermic animals.

30-Osmoconformers

Osmoconformers are marine organisms that maintain an internal environment which is isotonic to their external environment.

Advantages

These organisms do not need to expend as much energy as osmoregulators in order to regulate ion gradients.

Disadvantages

A disadvantage to osmoconformation is that the organisms are subject to changes in the osmolarity of their environment.