Unlike plants, animals are heterotrophs. This is the name given to organisms that are unable to create organic matter from inorganic ones. They create the organic substances necessary for their body from organic substances supplied with food. Unlike animals, plants form organic substances from inorganic ones, using light energy for this. But in the life of animals light also plays an important role. Many animals have visual organs that allow them to navigate in space, distinguish individuals of their own species from others, search for food, migrate, etc. Some animal species are active during the day ( Falconiformes, swallows, zebras), others - at night ( cockroaches, owls, hedgehogs).

Most animal species live in conditions that vary throughout the year. In spring the duration gradually increases daylight hours, and with the approach of autumn it begins to decrease. By reacting to changes in the length of daylight hours, animals can prepare in advance for the onset of changes in nature. The reaction of organisms to changes in daylight hours is called photoperiodism.

Another important factor inanimate nature influencing the life activity of organisms is temperature. U cold-blooded animals (invertebrates, fish, amphibians, reptiles) body temperature depends on temperature environment. In low temperatures they go into a state of torpor.

Warm-blooded animals (birds, mammals) are able to maintain body temperature, regardless of its changes in the environment, at a more or less constant level. To do this they need to spend a lot of energy. Therefore, in winter they face the acute problem of finding food.

Animals that live in low temperature conditions are called cold-loving (penguins, polar bear , deep sea fish etc.). These animals have well-developed hair or feathers, a layer subcutaneous fat etc.

Species living in conditions elevated temperatures, called thermophilic (madrepore corals, antelope, hippos, parrot style etc.) (Fig. 276, 4-6). Many species are able to live in conditions of periodic temperature changes. They are called cold-resistant (wolves, foxes, hoodie etc.) .

Another environmental factor, which plays an important role in the life of animals, is humidity . The body of many animals contains 50-60% water, and the body of jellyfish contains up to 98%. Water ensures the transport of substances throughout the body, takes part in their chemical transformations, regulation of body temperature, removal of metabolic end products, etc. Among animals there are moisture-loving, drought-resistant And dry-loving. TO moisture-loving include those species of animals that can live only in conditions of high humidity (for example, woodlice, earthworms , amphibians). Unlike them, dry-loving species (sacred scarab beetle, desert views snake And lizards etc.) are able to effectively retain water in their body. This gives them the opportunity to live in arid steppes and deserts. Many animal species are classified as drought-resistant: they are able to survive certain periods of drought (many species beetles, reptiles, mammals etc.).

For animals living in aquatic environment, important salt composition of water. Some types of protozoa, crustaceans, and fish can live only in fresh water bodies, others - only in the seas. Material from the site

Animals do not experience long periods of time favorable conditions. Animals experience periods of unfavorable conditions in different ways. For example, in winter some species of animals hibernate ( brown bear, hedgehog, badger, etc.). This allows them to reduce energy expenditure in conditions of food shortage. Among desert dwellers, hibernation can occur in the summer, during the dry period. Unicellular animals unfavorable conditions transferred to the cyst stage. Many invertebrates survive unfavorable conditions at the egg stage (among crustaceans - shieldfish, many insects).

Among inanimate factors The greatest influence on animals is exerted by:

• light;
• temperature;
• humidity;
• salt composition of water.

On this page there is material on the following topics:

• Inanimate habitat factors

• What factor of inanimate nature affects pine

• Unfavorable natural conditions

• The influence of various factors for WWII of biological nature

• How animals influence inanimate nature

Questions about this material:

Mother Nature has a very stubborn nature. She always tries to conquer any harsh conditions, created by the tireless forces of our planet, and it is in such extreme conditions The ingenuity of the natural world can be seen in all its glory. In an overwhelming number of cases, nature seems smarter than any scientist, and invents ways of survival that can serve as a source of inspiration for man's desire to conquer any harsh conditions. Below are ten examples of amazing animal adaptations to extreme temperatures and other adverse conditions:

10. Arctic fish

Fish are poikilothermic organisms, or simply put, cold-blooded animals, which means that the lower the temperature of their environment, the more difficult it is for them to maintain their metabolic functions. Moreover, as the temperature decreases, ice crystals form in the cells of their body and thus the animal can suffer irreparable damage, which will ultimately lead to its death. However, although Arctic fish do not have the luxury of generating their own heat like the bodies of seals and other marine mammals who live in the same ice water, they appear to be thriving, and how they do this has puzzled scientists for a long time.

An explanation was found in recent years, when an antifreeze protein was discovered that prevents ice crystals from forming in their blood. However, exactly how this protein works was only discovered three years ago in a study conducted by Volkswagen (yes, the car manufacturer). The protein prevents the formation of ice in the molecules surrounding it, and thus allows cells to continue their life cycle. This phenomenon is achieved due to the fact that the protein slows down water molecules, which are usually in a state of continuous dance-like movements. This prevents the bonds that are needed to form ice from forming and breaking. A similar protein has been found in several species of beetles that live at high altitudes or in close proximity to the Arctic Circle.

9. Freezing to Survive


Arctic fish avoid freezing, but other animals have evolved to freeze completely to survive the cold season. As paradoxical as it may sound, several species of frogs and turtles freeze almost completely and spend the entire winter in this state. The curious thing is that they freeze until solid state and if you throw such a frozen but living frog out of a window, it will instantly break, as if hit by a piece of ice. The frogs then miraculously thaw back to a living state during spring. This remarkable winter survival technique is due to the fact that urea and glucose (which comes from the conversion of glycogen in the liver that occurs before freezing) limit the amount of ice and reduce the osmotic shrinkage of cells that would otherwise lead to the death of the animal. In other words, sugar allows the frog to survive. However, their resilience has a limit: although they appear completely solid when frozen, the animals may not survive if more than 65 percent of their body water freezes.

8. Chemical heat


We are still in the world of cold-blooded animals. Most of us learned in physics class that the smaller an object, the more difficult it is for it to retain heat. Moreover, we know that cold-blooded animals tend to be quite lethargic and capable of only short bursts of energy. However, insects, despite being poikilothermic creatures, are very active and they achieve their energy by generating body heat through chemical and mechanical means, usually through rapid and constant muscle movements. We can draw a parallel between insects and warming up a diesel engine in winter before starting it. They do this not only to generate the energy necessary to maintain flight, but also to protect themselves from the cold in winter, for example, bees huddle and shiver to avoid freezing.

7. Encystment


Protozoa, bacteria and spores, as well as some nematodes, use encystment (which is the act of entering a state of suspended animation and being separated from the outside world by a solid cell wall) to survive unfavorable conditions for long periods of time. Very long periods of time.

In fact, encysting is precisely why one of the most outstanding achievements of the natural world: scientists have been able to bring back to life bacteria and spores that were millions of years old - the oldest of which was approximately 250 million years old (yes, it was older than dinosaurs). Encystment may well be the only way Park Jurassic could become a reality. On the other hand, imagine what would happen if scientists revived a virus against which the human body has no defense...

6. Natural radiators


Keeping things cool is a challenge in tropical areas, especially with larger or more energetic animals. Natural radiators are effective way lowering body temperature: for example, the ears of elephants and rabbits are full of blood vessels, and help the animals cool their bodies in the heat. Arctic rabbits have much smaller ears, just like woolly mammoths; nature made their ears small to protect them from the cold. Radiators were also found in the prehistoric world, in animals such as Dimetrodon, which lived during the Permian period, or, according to some scientists, in dinosaurs belonging to the family Stegosaurus, whose plates were saturated with vessels to facilitate heat exchange.

5. Megathermia


Too much large size may be a disadvantage for creatures living in tropical areas, as they constantly need to lower their body temperature. However, in cold waters, large cold-blooded creatures can thrive and be quite energetic. A prerequisite for this is size: megathermia is the ability to generate heat from body mass, a phenomenon found in leatherbacks sea ​​turtles(most large turtles in the world), or in large sharks such as great white shark or mako shark. This increase in body temperature allows these creatures to be quite energetic in cold waters - in fact, leatherback sea turtles are the fastest reptiles on Earth, capable of reaching speeds of up to 32 kilometers per hour in a short burst.

4. Changes in blood properties


In order to survive in extreme conditions, some animals have developed different types of blood composition: for example, the sperm whale and the Asian bar-headed goose. Both of these species have the strange ability to store much more oxygen in their blood cells than other animals. However, they need this for various reasons: the sperm whale has to hold its breath for a long time due to the fact that it dives to great depths in search of food. The bar-headed goose needs to maintain vigorous flight over the Himalayan mountain range, and at the altitudes at which it flies there is very little oxygen in the air.

3. Respiratory adaptation


In tropical and equatorial regions, the changing seasons can lead to disaster for many animals. The rainy season may mean frequent floods, in which many land animals lose their lives, while the dry season means lack of water, which is naturally bad for everyone. Among the animals that nature has gone to great lengths to ensure their survival are fish that breathe air. Many of us have heard of the lungfish, a member of the superorder Lungfish, which creates a mucus sac to protect itself from drought, but some species of catfish and eels not only breathe air, but are also able to travel on land between bodies of water. These fish are able to obtain oxygen from the air not through the lungs or gills, but through the use of special areas their intestines.

2. Life in hell


Since their discovery, hydrothermal vents have disproved many of the theories that scientists have put forward regarding deep sea life. sea ​​life. The temperature of the water surrounding these vents exceeds the boiling point, but the sheer pressure of the water at these depths prevents any bubbles from appearing. Hydrothermal vents constantly release hydrogen sulfide, which is highly toxic to most life forms. However, these hellish vents are often surrounded by colonies of various natural organisms, most of which apparently thrive in a toxic, sunless world. These creatures managed to cope with the shortage sunlight(which we know is an important part for most life forms as it triggers the synthesis of vitamin D) and incredibly high temperatures. Given that many of the deep-sea creatures that live around the vents are quite primitive from an evolutionary point of view, scientists are currently trying to figure out whether these vents were real conditions the origin of life, which first appeared approximately 3.5 billion years ago.

1. Brave Colonization


It is worth noting that this item on our list still does not have a thorough scientific explanation: One species of parrot endemic to Nicaragua, the Mexican aratinga holochlora, nests in the crater of the Masaya volcano. The hard-to-explain part is that the crater constantly releases sulfur dioxide gases, which are quite deadly. How these parrots can nest in an environment that can easily kill people and other animals within minutes is still a mystery to scientists, and this proves that Mother Nature, in her determination to conquer space, is not afraid of any obstacles . While the fauna living near deep sea vents have had millions of years of evolution to adapt to life in such conditions, the green parrots of the Masaya crater began to engage in this lifestyle only recently in evolutionary terms. By studying such intrepid species, humans can gain a better understanding of how the marvel of the universe—evolution—works, just as Charles Darwin observed the finches of the Galapagos Islands during his voyage aboard the Beagle.

Change of seasons in temperate zone entails significant changes in the life of nature, associated primarily with changes in temperature. Adaptations of plants and animals associated with change external conditions, have different shapes and manifestations: mammals grow a thick undercoat, migratory birds change their habitat, other birds become covered with down, which is a poor conductor of heat and protects animals from hypothermia in winter.

Preparing for winter

In mid-summer, the growth of many plant species stops, the number of flowering plants, bird breeding ends. The ripening of fruits and seeds begins; Preparation for winter becomes more noticeable.

Plants accumulate reserves nutrients in overwintering organs: roots, rhizomes, bulbs, tubers.

In insects, fat accumulates in special organs - fat bodies. Fat is also deposited in the subcutaneous tissue of many mammals. In autumn, birds and mammals molt. Leaves are falling from trees and bushes.

State of deep rest

Many species of organisms have acquired the ability to survive unfavorable conditions (high or very low temperatures, decreased humidity, lack of food, etc.) in a state of deep rest. It is characterized by a decrease in physiological processes, slower gas exchange, cessation of nutrition and immobility in animals.

The temperature that causes this condition is different for different types. In some insects, fish and amphibians, deep rest occurs already when the temperature drops to +15°C, in others - at +10°C, in others - only at a temperature close to O°C.

U various types Various plant organs experience a state of winter dormancy. Bulbous plants have bulbs, ferns and a number of others have rhizomes, sweet peas have underground tubers, thistles have rosettes of leaves pressed to the ground, and most plants have seeds.

Invertebrate animals can overwinter at various stages of development. Yes, ordinary malaria mosquito- at the stage of an adult insect, the spring butterfly - at the larval stage, the hollow butterfly - at the egg stage, and the cabbage butterfly - at the pupa stage.

During autumn and winter, plants and insects become more accustomed to cold and their resistance to low temperatures increases. This is called hardening.

Anabiosis of animals and plants

Organisms in a state of suspended animation are particularly resistant to adverse conditions. In suspended animation, life processes are temporarily stopped or so reduced that there are no visible manifestations of life.

In flowering plants, the state of suspended animation is part of the normal life cycle. Dried seeds remain viable for many years. In a number of invertebrates (protozoa, lower crustaceans, rotifers), suspended animation occurs when the puddles and swamps in which they live dry out.

Other invertebrates go into suspended animation when frozen. Protozoa and some arthropods (daphnia, cyclops, insects) can freeze into ice.

In specially designed experiments, butterfly caterpillars survived freezing at a temperature of -7.9°C, and roundworms-183°C. Spores of mosses and ferns and cereal seeds, after drying, were subjected to a temperature of -272°C and retained their germination.

It has been established that a return to active life from a state of suspended animation is possible only when the tissue fluid does not form crystals, but remains in a supercooled state. This is due to the fact that glycerol is formed in the tissues, which prevents freezing.

Physiology of hibernation

The decrease in metabolic rate found in mammals manifests itself in the form of hibernation. The reasons for its onset are a decrease in temperature, as well as a lack of food both in winter and in summer, when the vegetation in the steppe and desert burns out from the heat.

Hamsters, chipmunks, bats, hedgehogs, and some types of ground squirrels go into hibernation. hibernation Other species of ground squirrels hibernate during the summer, usually during the dry half of the summer. During hibernation, active thermoregulation decreases, body temperature drops almost to ambient temperature, and all functions slow down. Heart rate bats, for example, drops from 420 to 16 per minute.

In some mammals - bears, badgers, raccoon dogs, protein - winter sleep sets in, during which metabolism also decreases significantly, but there is no drop in body temperature.

Special devices

To complete life cycle Some plants, insects and a number of other organisms need to cool down and go through winter dormancy stages. At this time, certain physiological processes are carried out that prepare the body for new active life activities.

Ways living organisms survive unfavorable conditions (wintering, hibernation, suspended animation, migration, etc.).

Wintering- ways of experiencing unfavorable winter period(low temperatures, lack of food) animals of temperate and cold zones. In invertebrates, there are development cycles where one of the phases is cold-resistant (example: locust eggs, beetle larvae, butterfly pupae). In warm-blooded animals - hibernation (hibernation) - bear, hedgehog, badger - they slow down during it biological processes. In plants, wintering is accompanied by a cessation or sharp slowdown of physiological processes. The physiological meaning is to conserve energy in unfavorable conditions. Summer hibernation is associated with seasonal moisture deficiency (estivation) - lungfish.

Anabiosis- a state of the body in which physiological processes temporarily stop or are so slowed down that there are no visible manifestations of life, observed with a sharp deterioration in living conditions – low temperature, drought. When favorable conditions occur - restoration normal level vital activity, cysts are the most resistant. In poikilotherms - amphibians (toads, frogs, newts) - long-term exposure high temperatures for awakening. Diapause - special case anabiosis, in insects there is larval (in hawthorn), pupal, imaginal (mosquito) diapause.

Winter dream- inhibition in the cerebral cortex and subcortical areas, accompanied by a decrease in metabolism. Winter sleep allows animals to survive an unfavorable period

year. Winter sleep differs from hibernation in the lower intensity of the process of inhibition of all functions and the ability to wake up.

Emigration is a mass relocation of animals from their usual habitats.

Nomadism– short-term and short-term movement of animals from one area to another as an adaptation to surviving unfavorable living conditions. There are seasonal, periodic and random shapes migrations. Reason: winter, drought, hibernation, for herbivorous ungulates - availability of food. Moreover, during migrations, animals do not always return to their original places; different routes are observed.

Migration- periodic or non-periodic, horizontal and vertical regular movements of animals to the individual habitat of an individual (their group) over a season, year or a number of years. Its features: strict seasonality, the presence of a mechanism for controlling its calendar dates, multiple restructuring physiological systems organism due to the upcoming increase in energy consumption, the need for orientation in space, individuals in a certain physiological state are involved in migration, mass character associated with the synchronization of the timing of the development of the migratory state in all individuals. Seasonal migration is known for many animal taxa, most well studied in birds, as well as spawning migrations of fish. Distinguish active, passive, feeding, dispersal and other forms of animal migration.

47. Population structure: spatial and demographic.

Main indicators of population structure – number, distribution of organisms in space and the ratio of individuals of different qualities. Each individual has a certain size, gender, distinctive features morphology, behavioral characteristics, their limits of endurance and adaptability to environmental changes. The distribution of these characteristics in a population also characterizes its structure. The population structure is not stable. Growth and development of organisms, birth of new ones, death from various reasons, changes in environmental conditions, an increase or decrease in the number of enemies - all this leads to changes in various ratios within the population.

“How different animals eat” - Ways of feeding different animals. Herbivores are animals that need plant foods. Confusion game. There is a timid deer at the edge of the forest; he is not too lazy to pluck the grass. What a scary predator. All butterflies are characterized by the presence of a long, movable proboscis. Fascinating excursion. Crayfish. Types of teeth. Bee. We find ourselves in a meadow. Animals. Prudovik. How does a whale eat? These animals are helped to eat by their teeth, which bite off.

“Skin diseases in animals” - Endogenous factors. Ulcer. Granulation barrier. Warty dermatitis. Furuncle in a dog. Clinical signs. Dermatitis of the interdigital area. Boils in a dog. Scar. Erythema. Seborrhea. Hidradenitis. Redness appears around the hair. The initial stage of eczema. Local treatment. Significant swelling develops. Reflex eczema. Skin diseases. Eczema. Diagram of eczema formation. Bubble. Folliculitis diagram.

"Trematodoses" - Helminths. Pathological changes. Prevention. Trematode eggs. General view trematodes. Pathogenesis and immunity. Developmental biology. Pathogens. Sources of spread of invasion. Pathogenesis. Ursovermit. Trematodes. Paramphistomatosis. Fascioliasis. Bithionol. Common fasciola. Fallen animal. Giant fasciola. Lifetime diagnosis. Adolescaria. Polytreme. Niclosamide. Fasciola vulgaris. Developmental biology of paramphistomata.

“Types of protective colors” - Collective mimicry is effective. Collective mimicry. Transparent body. Müller's mimicry. Mimicry. Patronizing (cryptic) coloring. Consider the animals. Eyes. Dissecting coloring. Warning coloring. Greatest effect. Menacing coloring. Relative character fitness. Mimesia. Types of protective colors of animals. Examples of eye camouflage. Classic mimicry. Examples of warning colors.

“Seasonal changes in the lives of animals” - Colorado potato beetle. Migrations. Numbness. Textbook questions. Hibernation and torpor. Migrations reindeer. Signals. Butterfly. Bat. A cluster of bats. Seasonal changes in the lives of animals. Hibernation. Bird flights. Environmental conditions.