The Nervous System
Figure 16.1. An athlete’s nervous system is hard at work during the planning and execution of a movement as precise as a high jump. Parts of the nervous system are…
Digestive System Regulation
The brain is the control center for the sensation of hunger and satiety. The functions of the digestive system are regulated through neural and hormonal responses. Neural Responses to Food…
Digestive System Processes
Obtaining nutrition and energy from food is a multi-step process. For true animals, the first step is ingestion, the act of taking in food. This is followed by digestion, absorption,…
Food Energy and ATP
Animals need food to obtain energy and maintain homeostasis. Homeostasis is the ability of a system to maintain a stable internal environment even in the face of external changes to…
Nutrition and Energy Production
Given the diversity of animal life on our planet, it is not surprising that the animal diet would also vary substantially. The animal diet is the source of materials needed…
Parts of the Digestive System
The vertebrate digestive system is designed to facilitate the transformation of food matter into the nutrient components that sustain organisms. Oral Cavity The oral cavity, or mouth, is the point…
Vertebrate Digestive Systems
Vertebrates have evolved more complex digestive systems to adapt to their dietary needs. Some animals have a single stomach, while others have multi-chambered stomachs. Birds have developed a digestive system…
Invertebrate Digestive Systems
Animals have evolved different types of digestive systems to aid in the digestion of the different foods they consume. The simplest example is that of a gastrovascular cavity and is found in…
Animal Nutrition and the Digestive System
Figure 15.1. For humans, fruits and vegetables are important in maintaining a balanced diet. (credit: modification of work by Julie Rybarczyk) Introduction All living organisms need nutrients to survive. While…
Neural Control of Thermoregulation
The nervous system is important to thermoregulation, as illustrated in Figure 14.23. The processes of homeostasis and temperature control are centered in the hypothalamus of the advanced animal brain. Figure 14.23. The…
