Some students carried out investigations to determine whether a newly discovered animal was an ectotherm or an endotherm - HSC - SSCE Biology - Question 6 - 2008 - Paper 1
Question 6
Some students carried out investigations to determine whether a newly discovered animal was an ectotherm or an endotherm. Each student made one observation and concl... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:Some students carried out investigations to determine whether a newly discovered animal was an ectotherm or an endotherm - HSC - SSCE Biology - Question 6 - 2008 - Paper 1
Step 1
Observation (A): Its temperature and metabolism increased when the cage temperature increased.
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Answer
This concludes that the animal is an ectotherm. Ectotherms rely on external sources of heat to regulate their body temperature. Therefore, if its temperature and metabolism increase with the cage temperature, it implies that the animal is responding to its environment in a typical ectothermic manner.
Step 2
Observation (B): Its body temperature was 37°C.
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Answer
A body temperature of 37°C is consistent with mammals, which are endotherms. This observation does not definitively categorize the animal as an ectotherm.
Step 3
Observation (C): Its temperature was less than the temperature of the cage.
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This observation suggests that the animal is likely an ectotherm since its body temperature is lower than its environment, indicating dependence on external heat sources.
Step 4
Observation (D): It was not a mammal.
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The observation does not provide sufficient information to determine if the animal is an ectotherm or an endotherm. Non-mammals can be either ectothermic or endothermic.
