Learning about Pet physiology and metabolism is an important part of taking care of your pet. This science is based on the concepts of homeostasis, and the regulation of the intra-and extracellular environment through the endocrine and neural systems. These systems are responsible for different aspects of animal health, including metabolism, excretion, digestion, and respiration. The goal of learning about these systems is to better understand your pet’s behavior and how to treat it.
Homeostasis of the intra- and extracellular environments
The control of internal and external environments is a crucial function in pet physiology and metabolism. A homeostatic response is a continuous process involving sensors, an integrating center and effectors. The process has two primary types of regulation: positive and negative feedback. In positive feedback mechanisms, the output of the process is enhanced. In negative feedback mechanisms, the output is reduced and the system returns to its normal functioning range. Most homeostatic processes use negative feedback regulation, which regulates specific parameters within a setpoint range.
The endocrine and neural systems have a role in homeostasis. These systems regulate the fluid and electrolyte content of different tissues. The integrating centers receive information from sensors and initiate a response in order to maintain homeostasis. The hypothalamus is the main example of an integrating center. The effect is an organ or tissue that receives the information from the integrating center. For example, if blood pressure is low, the kidney will retain water to maintain the blood pressure.
Neural and endocrine systems for homeostatic regulation
Homeostasis is the process by which animals adapt to their environment. Each organ or system has a receptor that detects changes in the environment and sends a signal to the controlling center (usually the brain), which in turn generates a response and signals the affected organ or system to return to equilibrium. The system’s response is a process called a “feedback loop,” which causes the deviation parameter to be adjusted toward the set point. For example, when an animal becomes too warm or has too much blood glucose after a meal, it will adjust its blood glucose level in order to get the nutrient into the tissues and maintain a healthy body temperature.
The nervous system responds to stimuli by sending electrical action potentials to target cells. These impulses are known as neurotransmitters, and the effects of the stimuli are almost immediate. The endocrine system, on the other hand, relies on hormones to elicit responses in target cells. Hormones are synthesized in specialized glands a distance from the target and travel through the blood and intercellular fluid. The hormones cause changes in cellular behavior at both the protein and the genetic level.
Relationship between body size and metabolic rate
The relationship between pet body size and metabolic rate is similar in most species. The metabolic rate increases with body mass, and the proportion of surface area to volume increases with body size. This relationship holds across species, with the primary exception of birds, which have a much higher metabolic rate than other species. The differences in metabolic rate are consistent with other studies of the relationship. However, there are some important differences among species. The relationship between pet body size and metabolic rate is best understood through a mathematical analysis.
The MLB hypothesis was tested by looking at the relationships of different species’ body mass to metabolic rate. Specifically, they looked at species with ranges of two orders of magnitude. The metabolic rate of four41 kg horse was much higher than that of a 64-kg man, and a two-kilogram hen was about one-tenth of the size of a man. The MLB hypothesis predicts that the relationship between body mass and metabolic rate is U-shaped for both mammals and birds, and the extremes are near two-thirds and one-third for rats.
