Animal Behavior and Life Functions

Life Functions After exploring the Six Kingdoms…let’s dig deeper! In order for an organism to be considered multi-cellular Eukaryotic, it has to have the 7 life functions! Note: Different from 7 Characteristics of Life!!!

Life Functions Grow and Develop Organisms increase in size Growth and Development (mitosis, meiosis) Cells become Specialized Example: Organization of Life – Cells, Tissues, Organs, Organ System, Organism (all growing!)

Life Functions Nutrition Obtain glucose for energy Example: Digestion or Photosynthesis

Life Functions Transport Materials Movement of gasses, water, nutrients, and waste throughout the organism Passive and Active transport Examples: Diffusion, osmosis , and xylem and phloem in plants

Life Functions Respiration Obtaining oxygen for cellular respiration, a gas exchange Production of ATP Example: Respiratory system in mammals to work the circulatory system

Life Functions Excretion Removal of waste from metabolic processes Examples: Exocytosis in cells, removing carbon dioxide when breathing, oxygen gas leaving plants through stomates.

Life Functions Reproduction Producing more organisms (offspring) either asexually or sexually Examples: Process of meiosis, or protists that undergo binary fission (the cells just separate)

Life Functions Regulation Undergoing cellular communication involving specialized cells or hormones Example: chemical signals traveling to the brain from hormones elsewhere in the body

Behaviors Behavior: ways living organisms respond in their environment that help them survive and reproduce Stimulus: anything that causes a response or a reaction (change in the environment) Innate Behaviors: inherited taxes, reflexes, or instincts.

Types of Behaviors Taxes – movement towards or away from a stimulus. Reflex – a simple, automatic response to a stimulus.

Types of Behaviors Fight-or-Flight Response – a stimulus that triggers a reaction causing an animal to fight or run from danger. Instinct – a series of steps or body reactions that continue until a behavior is complete

Types of Behaviors Suckling Instinct – mammals will suckle the mother’s breast right after their born Courtship – members of the same species carry out a specific behavior before mating

Types of Behaviors Territoriality - animals defend a physical space against other members of their species Migration – seasonal movement of animals to obtain food and nesting sites

Types of Behaviors Hibernation – reduced activity in cold temperatures Estivation - reduced activity in warm temperatures

Types of Behaviors Circadian Rhythms - regulate all activities based on a 24 hour cycle

Learned Behavior Different than innate behaviors, a Learned Behavior is developed through practice and experience. The more complex the brain, the more capable of learned behaviors.

Learned Behaviors Habituation – animal becomes “used to” a stimulus that occurs over and over Imprinting – occurs at a critical time in a young animal’s life – shows the animal how best it can survive

Learned Behaviors Trial-and-Error: trying one solution after another to obtain a reward when the action is done right Classical Conditioning – acquired through associating different stimuli together in order to get a behavior

Social Behaviors Social Behavior: interactions among members of the same species that is beneficial to one or more of the individuals Examples… Group Protection: groups of the same species gather to alert others if predators enter their territory

Social Behaviors Live in Colonies with Specialized Jobs – organisms have jobs in their colonies such as gathering food or protection Communication with Pheromones – genetically controlled chemical scent hormone

Social Behaviors Communication with Visual/Audio – most commonly seen in courtship dances and territorial defenses to attract or defend Communication with Language – organisms create symbols and sounds to communicate ideas, knowledge, and experiences.