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Stimulus Response
Activity 1: Elements of Behavior 34-1
Actively read sections 1 and 2
Study the graphics and read ALL captions.
Answer any questions you encounter.
Photo Credit: ©OSF/LILLIE, Peter/Animals Animals Enterprises
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Stimulus and Response
1. Biologists define behavior as the way an organism reacts to changes in its internal condition or external environment.
A behavior can be simple or complex.
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Stimulus and Response
2. Behaviors are performed when an animal reacts to a stimulus.
3. A stimulus is any kind of signal that carries information and can be detected.
For example, hunger is an internal stimulus that may prompt you to eat. The sound of a ringing phone is an external stimulus that may prompt you to answer the phone.
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4. What are some other internal stimuli?
Stimulus and Response
4. Internal Stimuli - Animals respond to many types of internal stimuli, such as:
hunger
fatigue
thirst
pain
_____________
We more
commonly call
internal stimuli
feelings.
What are some other internal stimuli?
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Stimulus and Response
5. External Stimuli - Animals respond to many types of external stimuli, such as:
light
sound
odors
temperature
taste
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6. Fill in the sense associated with each type of external stimuli.
Stimulus and Response
5. External Stimuli - Animals respond to many types of external stimuli, such as:
light
sound
odors
temperature
taste
Animals use their senses
to detect external stimuli
In the environment.
Fill in the sense associated with each
type of external stimuli.
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Stimulus and Response
6. A single, specific reaction to a stimulus is called a response.
A behavior may consist of more than one response.
For example, a shark may respond to the movement of prey by swimming toward the prey and attacking it.
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Stimulus and Response
How Animals Respond
When an animal responds to a stimulus, its body systems—including the sense organs, nervous system, and muscles—interact to produce the resultant behavior.
Activity 3: Video clip
Record key points in space provided.
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Stimulus and Response
Activity 3: Video clip
(8:21)
1. s_________________
2. receptor = __________________________________
3. co-ordinating p_______________________________
4. effector = __________________________________
5. response
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10. Activity 3: Mealworm Observations
Were there any common reactions? _________
Analysis ___________________________________
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Activity 3: Mealworm Observations
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Stimulus Response
Were there any patterns?
How did the reaction to the brush differ from the reaction to the food?
Why do you think it was different?
What kinds of additional experiments could we do to better understand mealworm responses to stimuli?
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