Environmental Physiology of Animals

Pat Willmer, Graham Stone, Ian Johnston

• Publisher: Wiley-Blackwell
• Year: 2009
• ISBN:
  9781444309225
• Edition: 2
• Topic: Biological Sciences
• Subtopic: Human Anatomy & Physiology
• Index: Biological Sciences

The new and updated edition of this accessible text provides a comprehensive overview of the comparative physiology of animals within an environmental context.

• Includes two brand new chapters on Nerves and Muscles and the Endocrine System.
• Discusses both comparative systems physiology and environmental physiology.
• Analyses and integrates problems and adaptations for each kind of environment: marine, seashore and estuary, freshwater, terrestrial and parasitic.
• Examines mechanisms and responses beyond physiology.
• Applies an evolutionary perspective to the analysis of environmental adaptation.
• Provides modern molecular biology insights into the mechanistic basis of adaptation, and takes the level of analysis beyond the cell to the membrane, enzyme and gene.
• Incorporates more varied material from a wide range of animal types, with less of a focus purely on terrestrial reptiles, birds and mammals and rather more about the spectacularly successful strategies of invertebrates.

A companion site for this book with artwork for downloading is available at: www.blackwellpublishing.com/willmer/

Table of contents

• Preface to Second Edition
• Preface to First Edition
• Acknowledgments
• Abbreviations
• PART 1 Basic Principles
• 1 The Nature and Levels of Adaptation
• 1.1 Introduction: comparative, environmental, and evolutionary physiology
• 1.2 The meaning of “environment”
• 1.3 The meaning of “adaptation”
• 1.4 Comparative methods to detect adaptation
• 1.5 Physiological response on different scales
• 1.6 Conclusions
• FURTHER READING
• 2 Fundamental Mechanisms of Adaptation
• 2.1 Introduction: adaptation at the molecular and genome level
• 2.2 Controlling protein action
• 2.3 Control of protein synthesis and degradation
• 2.4 Protein evolution
• 2.5 Physiological regulation of gene expression
• 2.6 Conclusions
• FURTHER READING
• 3 The Problems of Size and Scale
• 3.1 Introduction
• 3.2 Principle of similarity: isometric scaling
• 3.3 Allometric scaling
• 3.4 Scaling of metabolic rate
• 3.5 Scaling of locomotion
• 3.6 Conclusions: is there a right size to be?
• FURTHER READING
• PART 2 Central Issues in Comparative Physiology
• 4 Water, Ions, and Osmotic Physiology
• 4.1 Introduction
• 4.2 Aqueous solutions
• 4.3 Passive movements of water and solutes
• 4.4 Nonpassive solute movements
• 4.5 Concentrations of cell contents
• 4.6 Overall regulation of cell contents
• 4.7 Conclusions
• FURTHER READING
• 5 Animal Water Balance, Osmoregulation, and Excretion
• 5.1 Introduction
• 5.2 Exchanges occurring at the outer body surface
• 5.3 Osmoregulation at external surfaces
• 5.4 Osmoregulatory organs and their excretory products
• 5.5 Water regulation via the gut
• 5.6 Regulation of respiratory water exchanges
• 5.7 Water loss in reproductive systems
• 5.8 Water gain
• 5.9 Costs and energetics of regulating water and ion balance
• 5.10 Roles of nervous systems and hormones
• 5.11 Conclusions
• FURTHER READING
• 6 Metabolism and Energy Supply
• 6.1 Introduction
• 6.2 Metabolic intermediaries
• 6.3 Anaerobic metabolic pathways
• 6.4 Aerobic metabolism
• 6.5 Metabolic rates
• 6.6 Energy budgets
• FURTHER READING
• 7 Respiration and Circulation
• 7.1 Introduction
• 7.2 Uptake and loss of gases across respiratory surfaces
• 7.3 Ventilation systems to improve exchange rates
• 7.4 Circulatory systems
• 7.5 Delivering and transferring gases to the tissues
• 7.6 Coping with hypoxia and anoxia
• 7.7 Control of respiration
• FURTHER READING
• 8 Temperature and its Effects
• 8.1 Introduction
• 8.2 Biochemical effects of temperature
• 8.3 Physiological effects of temperature
• 8.4 Terminology and strategies in thermal biology
• 8.5 Thermal environments and thermal exchanges
• 8.6 Avoidance, tolerance, and acclimation in thermal biology
• 8.7 Regulating heat gain and keeping warm
• 8.8 Regulating heat loss and keeping cool
• 8.9 Opting out: evasion systems in space or time
• 8.10 Regulating thermal biology: nerves and hormones
• 8.11 Evolution and advantages of varying thermal strategies
• FURTHER READING
• 9 Excitable Tissues: Nervous Systems and Muscles
• 9.1 Introduction
• SECTION 1: NERVES
• 9.2 Neural functioning
• 9.3 Synaptic transmission
• 9.4 Nervous systems
• 9.5 Neural integration and higher neural processes
• 9.6 Neuronal development
• 9.7 Sensory systems: mechanisms and principles
• 9.8 Specific senses and sense organs
• SECTION 2: MUSCLES
• 9.9 Muscles and movement: introduction
• 9.10 Muscle structure
• 9.11 Muscle contraction
• 9.12 Muscle mechanics
• 9.13 Muscle types and diversity
• SECTION 3: NERVES AND MUSCLES WORKING TOGETHER
• 9.14 Motor activity patterns
• 9.15 Locomotion using muscles
• 9.16 Conclusions
• FURTHER READING
• 10 Hormones and Chemical Control Systems
• 10.1 Introduction
• 10.2 Endocrine systems
• 10.3 Control of water and osmotic balance
• 10.4 Control of ion balance and pH
• 10.5 Control of development and growth
• 10.6 Control of metabolism, temperature, and color
• 10.7 Control of sex and reproduction
• 10.8 Hormones and other behaviors: aggression, territoriality, and migration
• 10.9 Pheromones and the control of behavior
• 10.10 Conclusions
• FURTHER READING
• PART 3 Coping with the Environment
• Introduction
• 11 Marine Life
• 11.1 Introduction: marine habitats and biota
• 11.2 Ionic and osmotic adaptation
• 11.3 Thermal adaptation
• 11.4 Respiratory adaptation
• 11.5 Reproductive and life-cycle adaptation
• 11.6 Depth problems, buoyancy, and locomotion
• 11.7 Sensory issues: marine signaling
• 11.8 Feeding and being fed on
• 11.9 Anthropogenic problems
• 11.10 Secondary invasion of the seas: marine vertebrates
• 11.11 Conclusions
• FURTHER READING
• 12 Shorelines and Estuaries
• 12.1 Introduction: brackish habitats and biota
• 12.2 Ionic and osmotic adaptation and water balance
• 12.3 Thermal adaptation
• 12.4 Respiratory adaptation
• 12.5 Reproductive and life-cycle adaptation
• 12.6 Mechanical, locomotory, and sensory systems
• 12.7 Feeding and being fed on
• 12.8 Anthropogenic problems
• 12.9 Conclusions
• FURTHER READING
• 13 Fresh Water
• 13.1 Introduction: freshwater habitats and biota
• 13.2 Ionic and osmotic adaptation and water balance
• 13.3 Thermal adaptation
• 13.4 Respiratory adaptation
• 13.5 Reproductive and life-cycle adaptation
• 13.6 Mechanical, locomotory, and sensory adaptations
• 13.7 Feeding and being fed on
• 13.8 Anthropogenic problems
• 13.9 Conclusions
• FURTHER READING
• 14 Special Aquatic Habitats
• 14.1 Introduction
• 14.2 Transient water bodies
• 14.3 Osmotically peculiar habitats
• 14.4 Thermally extreme waters
• FURTHER READING
• 15 Terrestrial Life
• 15.1 Introduction
• 15.2 Ionic and osmotic adaptation and water balance
• 15.3 Thermal adaptation
• 15.4 Respiratory adaptation
• 15.5 Reproductive and life-cycle adaptation
• 15.6 Locomotion and mechanical adaptations
• 15.7 Sensory adaptations
• 15.8 Feeding and being fed upon
• 15.9 Anthropogenic problems
• 15.10 Conclusions
• FURTHER READING
• 16 Extreme Terrestrial Habitats
• 16.1 Introduction
• 16.2 Hot and dry habitats: deserts
• 16.3 Very cold habitats
• 16.4 High-altitude habitats
• 16.5 Aerial habitats
• 16.6 Conclusions
• FURTHER READING
• 17 Parasitic Habitats
• 17.1 Introduction
• 17.2 Parasite environments
• 17.3 Basic parasite physiology
• 17.4 Reproduction and transmission
• 17.5 Parasite sensory abilities
• 17.6 Parasite regulation of host physiology
• 17.7 Biotic interactions: host–parasite conflicts
• 17.8 Conclusions
• FURTHER READING
• References
• Index