Q.In summer we use air conditioners and in winter we use heaters. Here homeostasis is accomplished by artificial means. Explain four ways by which other living organisms cope with the situation.
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Start your 14-day free trial to unlock the full solution →Besides artificial homeostasis (like using an AC or heater), organisms cope with unfavourable environmental conditions in nature by regulating, conforming, migrating, or suspending activity.
Just as humans use air conditioners in summer and heaters in winter to artificially maintain a comfortable internal temperature (homeostasis), organisms in nature have evolved four broad strategies to cope with stressful or fluctuating external conditions:
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Regulate: Some organisms (all birds and mammals, and a few lower vertebrates/invertebrates) can maintain a constant internal environment (e.g. body temperature, osmotic concentration) through physiological (sometimes even behavioural) means, regardless of the external conditions. This is true homeostasis achieved biologically — for example, warm-blooded animals maintain a constant body temperature even in cold weather through internal thermoregulation.
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Conform: The overwhelming majority of animals (about 99%) and nearly all plants cannot maintain a constant internal environment; their body temperature/osmotic concentration changes with the ambient environment. These are called conformers. For instance, aquatic animals conform to the osmotic concentration of the ambient water, and reptiles (like lizards) bask in the sun or move into shade to manage their body temperature since they cannot regulate it internally.
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