Aerobic Cellular Respiration is the way that most multi-cellular organisms create the ATP needed for molecules to function throughout their bodies. Aerobic Cellular Respiration sounds like it would be a physically active and strenuous form of Cellular Respiration, but in reality, it is active in eating and breathing. We don't have to do jumping jacks or hop on a stair climbing machine to participate in Aerobic Cellular Respiration - it's almost like our cells hit the gym, even if we don't! Woo!
Humans could not function using just Anaerobic Cellular Respiration. This process doesn't create enough ATP to keep pace with what our bodies need, and we would eventually (very, very quickly, I imagine) stop being able to function. Anaerobic Cellular Respiration is there for us in case we need to push our bodies just a little harder, but it is certainly not something we could rely on as a form of survival (unless we're running from a freakin' tiger).
I could be wrong, but I think the difference in the activity levels of warm- and cold-blooded animals is caused by warm-blooded animals having a higher level of homeostasis than that of cold-blooded animals. Cold-blooded animals need more heat in order to be active - thus the reason you aren't in danger of stepping on a snake in the Arctic (although... I imagine a snake that's able to live up there would be pretty wicked). It's almost like they're solar-powered. While warm-blooded animals can adapt and live in almost any climate, cold-blooded creatures need a climate where they can be warm. No such thing as a snow dragon... they live in the Komodo islands.
Something interesting to note that I just learned is that cold blooded animals actually require less food to live because they rely on the sun to maintain homeostasis. Warmblooded animals have to fuel their own body temperature and therefore warmblooded animals eat more than coldblooded animals. :)
ReplyDeleteThis is probably a really lame analogy but I relate it to automatic and manual transmissions. It takes more energy to run an automatic but all the internal gear shifting is dealt with for you, without you as the driver having to do anything but give it a little more gas (this is arguable because automatics tend to be fairly fuel efficient). But as with a manual, it takes energy from the driver (this could be related to the environment that coldblooded animals must live in)in order to shift the gears and cause the car to work appropriately.
Anaerobic Cellular Respiration to me is about short term goals, like the example you gave of running away from the tiger. It is not long lasting, but sometimes you just need that little extra push. It is meant as a last resort, after the energy supply usually supplied by aerobic cellular respiration has been temporarily exhausted.
ReplyDeleteFor cold blooded animals the activities fueled by their functioning metabolism are fewer and more temperature dependent than warm-blooded animals. So while they may not control their own body temperature their internal chemical reactions occur quicker at higher temperatures. So, it makes sense that they would use less energy. Also more of the energy a cold-blood animal generates may be used to add body mass than warm-blooded animals. How both types of animals utilize energy is radically different and accounts for why warm-blooded animals may be as “more active”.
ha. ya you definitely wont be seeing snakes in the Arctic(i hope). It is interesting that the places we find cold blooded animals are in warm places especially during the summer when the roads and rocks are hot. we see snakes laying out on those things all the time. cold blooded animals are more temperature dependent then warm blooded animals. it also makes sense that they would use less energy because warm temperature helps them create energy more then warm blooded animals.
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