Animal Physiology, Spring, 1996

Bi 377, Hour Exam II

Instructions:

1) After receiving the exam, you are free to work on the answers in any classroom in Boyd Hall.

2) You may not use any information other than what you have stored in your brain (no notes, books, etc.)

3) Please limit your answers to the space provided beneath each answer. Feel free to use labeled diagrams to enhance your answers. Write clearly and concisely.

4) You have 1.5 hours to complete this examination. Remember that you have agreed not to discuss this examination with anyone else in the class until all have taken it (I will let you know in class).

5) Please sign below if you agree to the above policies.

GOOD LUCK!

Honor Statement: I have read the above instructions and agree to them. I promise to neither give nor receive any help on this examination.

Signed,

Short Answer. Choose seven out of the following eight questions. Each is worth 10 points. These questions can be answered in 3-6 sentences or a labeled diagram and 2-3 sentences.

1) Many physiological processes are controlled by the hypothalamus/pituitary system. Briefly describe this "system' and give at least one specific physiological process that is controlled in this way.

2) Summarize Chabot and Menaker's (1992) paper entitled "Physiological effects of melatonin...".

3) Summarize Menaker and Wisner's (1983) paper entitled "Temperature-compensated circadian clock in the pineal of...".

4) Identify/define four (out of five) following in one or two sentences: (10)

a) taxis/kinesis

b) pheromone

c) cGMP

d) Michael Menaker

e) temperature compensation

5) All living organisms that have been studied have been found to contain circadian clocks. Why might these clocks be adaptive to animals?

6) Draw and label a figure which shows the locomotor activity of a lobster (Homarus americanus) under the following conditions:

a) 12:12 LD cycle

b) Dim LL

c) removal of the circadian clock

d) transplantation of another clock which has a different property (you decide which property is different)

BE SURE THAT THE LABELS ARE DESCRIPTIVE - YOU CAN INCLUDE A FIGURE LEGEND.

7) A new species of vertebrate has just been discovered in a cave in SW Arizona. This species apparently orients in caves using a very acute sense of hearing. Since you are an expert on auditory physiology, you have been flown in (all expenses paid!) to examine this species. Describe several adaptations in the auditory system that you might expect to find after you have made a thorough (years perhaps) electrophysiological and neuroanatomical study of this organism. Assume money and time are unlimited!

8) Briefly describe how either bees or salmon can navigate their way through the environment.

Essay Questions: Answer the following questions in essay format (a paragraph or two with topic sentences followed by information supporting the topic sentence). You can also use the back side of this sheet of paper. DIAGRAMS (FIGURES) ARE ALSO STRONGLY ENCOURAGED!

1) Compare and contrast the electrophysiology of Necturus (an amphibian) photoreceptors versus Limulus (the horseshoe crab) photoreceptors.

2) There is much evidence from your reading and from what we have discussed in class that circadian rhythms are controlled or at least under the influence of genes. Discuss the evidence that supports this contention. Try to include information from at least two different species.