Mammalia

What is this?

This is a blog about mammals. On here, we talk about behavior, mode of nutrition, transport of nutrients/ wastes through the body, reproductive habits, life cycle, waste disposal, homeostasis, different types of mammals, body parts of mammals and a lot of systems.

We include pictures, information, fun fact of the post and  websites if you would like to know more about each individual subject.

All of our information are from trusted sites.

Mammal

• What is a mammal?

-A mammal is a warm blooded vertebrate that is distinguished by its fur, nourishment from mother when feeding milk to infant from mammary gland and (typically) the birth of live young.

Characteristics of Mammals:

• Mammals nurse their babies. The infants feed on their mothers milk. Mammals have to eat a lot of food to maintain their body temperature.
• Most mammals give their young more protection and training then do other animals.
• Only mammals have hair. All have hair at some time in their life. Though, I certain whales, it is presented that hair was there before birth.
• Mammals are warm-blooded.
• Mammals have a larger, more developed brain than other animals. (Ex. Chimpanzees, Dolphins and Humans who are especially highly intelligent)
• Mammals are able to move around because of their limbs.

A lot of this information should be remembered when looking through or blog. Much of this information is useful for when reading down through and understanding our blog.

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FUN FACT OF THE POST!

• There are more than 4,200 species of mammals. All but two give birth to live young. The other two - the Duck-Billed Platypus and the Echidna - hatch their young from eggs.

Want to learn more about mammals and its characteristics? Go to this website!
http://kids.sandiegozoo.org/animals/mammals

 

Homeostasis

What is homeostasis and how do mammals maintain it?

-Homeostasis is the internal balance in an environment.

How do mammals maintain in? Lets find out.

How?

Mammals maintain homeostasis through body temperature, pH balance and glucose regulation.

Temperature

• During the summer, when temperatures are warmer, mammals keep their hairs and feathers flat and close to the body so that there is no air between the body and their hair.
• Mammals maintaining body temperature is called endotherms.
• Mammals regulate body temperature by generating heat through metabolic activities.
• Sweat glands in the skin are stimulated to secrete sweat which will evaporate, taking away excess heat from the mammals body.
• In other mammals like cats and dogs, panting helps cool down the bod temperature. Panting also helps speed up evaporation from the lungs.

• During winter when the temperatures are colder, the hairs and feathers are raised up so that the air accumulates between the hair and the body surface.

Endothermic VS. Ectothermic

• Mammals are endothermic which means we maintain a fairly constant body temperature.
• Non-endothermic organisms are called ectothermic.

• The difference between the two is that endothermic animals use internal corrective mechanisms.
• Ectothermic use behavioral mechanisms (Ex. Lying in the sun when it is cold.) (Ex. Moving into the shade when it is hot)

Internal Mechanisms ensure that temperatures of the blood going to vital organs (Brain, Heart) is kept constant.

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Glucose

Glucose regulation is the regulation of level of glucose in the blood. Glucose is usually referred to as blood sugar.

• Important parts of maintaining glucose is the pancreas which acts as the monitor.
• The Islets of Langerhans. Which acts as the control center.
• Liver, Muscles & other body parts act as regulators.

Glucose is the transport carbohydrate in animals, its concentration affects every cell in the body.

1. Insulin decreases blood glucose.
2. Glucagon increases blood glucose.

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pH

-Mammals try to have a pH of roughly 7.4
-They need the pH level to be about this number so that their enzymes will work.
-If their enzymes to not work properly, it can cause the mammals protein to denature and break down.

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Body Parts involved with homeostasis:

• Kidneys- Regulate water and mineral salts concentration
• Skin- Regulate body temperature
• Liver & Pancreas- Regulate blood glucose level

5 important excrement organs in mammals:

• Skin- Excretes sweat.
• Lungs- Excretes carbon dioxide and water.
• Liver- Excretes bile.
• Gut- Excretes mucosa cells.
• Kidney- Excrete urine.

FUN FACT OF THE POST: Urine removes excess heat from the body to keep
the body temperature constant.

To learn more about this topic, go onto this website!
http://www.slideshare.net/hiratufail/homeostasis-in-mammals-ar

 

Life Cycle & Behavior

Life Cycle. I'm pretty sure we all already know what a life cycle is, but do we know the life cycle of a mammal? Lets find out.

Life Cycle

There are 5 stages in a mammals life cycle, starting with.......

• Mating! All mammals life cycle starts with mating. When the male meets a female, they like each other, then you know, do what they need to do to make a baby. This happens internally in the female body. You will learn more about that in my next post.
• Next step is Meiosis. This term defines what happens post-mating. When the two cells combine. Fertilization happens.
• Now, Gestation. Gestation periods are the point from when the zygote is formed until the baby is developed and birthed (in most mammals). Stem cells from into different parts of the body during this period.
• Next is the birth. Females give birth to their infants. In mammals, females are ALWAYS the ones to give birth to the infant.
• Last but not least, young mammals. The infants grow into bigger versions of themselves at birth, until they're at an adult age, and growing to the stopping point which is maturity. Female cycles set in, and males seek females for courtship and possible mating. Then the cycle repeats itself.

Behavior

The dependence of the young mammal on its mother for nourishment has made possible a period training. 

The ability for young mammals to learn from their elders has allowed a a behavioral plasticity unknown in any other group of organisms and has been a primary reason for evolutionary success of mammals. 

• The behavior is learned from the elders.

• Innate behavior would be for the females. When they give birth, they already know the mother instinct on how to care fir their child and nourish i.

• Learned behavior would be hunting, territorial issues, and mating. 

In previous posts, I have already talked about other behaviors with mammals. 

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FUN FACT OF THE POST!

•  We ALL have a life cycle!!!!!!!!

To learn more about this topic, go onto this website!



http://a-z-animals.com/reference/life-cycles/

Reproductive Habits

Mating & Courtship

-Every single born mammal started from one common occurrence. Mating.
-All mammals have to mate with one another to create their offspring.
-Usually, courtship happens between the male and female. It is different from all mammals what the courtship is. Rather it be doing a courtship dance, to asking someone out. It all varies from one
mammal to another.

Reproducing

What is reproduction in mammals?
     - It is the process where sperm and egg cells are produced, brought together, joined an developed into a new individual.

There are 3 different types of mammals. Placental mammals, Marsupials and Monotremes.

• The difference between  placental mammals and other mammals is that placental mammals fertilization occurs internally.

                      -Internal fertilization is uniting the sperm and egg internally in the female body.

• In other vertebrates, the developing embryo is separated from its mothers body by the amniotic membrane which surrounds the egg. The reason for this is, after fertilization, the embryo takes on its own existence as a separate organism. This is because the mothers auto-immune system will recognize new embryo as a foreign object and attack it. 

External Fertilization- Characterized by the release of the sperm and egg into an external environment; sperm will fertilize the egg outside of the organism as seen in spawning.

Internal Fertilization- Characterized by sperm fertilizing the egg within the female; the three methods include: oviparity (egg laid outside female body), ovoviparity (egg help within female), and viviparity (development within female followed by live birth.

- Internal Fertilization  protects the fertilized egg or embryo from predation and harsh environments, which results in higher survival rates than external fertilization.

3 types of mammal reproduction:

• Placental Reproduction (Most common mammal reproduction)
• Morotreme Types (Very rare for mammals)
• Mammal Reproduction (Happens with marsupials)

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Difference-

MOST mammals are placental mammals, except for marsupials and monotremes.

 

 -Marsupials VS Placental Mammals

• The main difference between placental mammals and marsupials is that when marsupials are born, they are always born undeveloped, about the size of a jelly bean. After they are born, they make their way into their mothers pouch and stay there for months. Placental animals are much more developed when they are born, due to the longer gestation period in the placenta.

Alike?

• Some authorities DO technically consider marsupials placental mammals since they do have a placenta, but these animals have a less-developed, less-efficient type of placenta that limits the gestation period. The animals who are considered placental animals have placenta that allows for a longer development period within the protection of the womb.

-Monotremes VS Placental Mammals

Difference?

• The difference between monotremes and placental mammals is that monotremes lay eggs.
• Though, they do lay eggs, but the egg does stay inside of the mother to receive nutrients.

Alike?

• Both the monotremes and placental mammals are both warm blooded, nourish their young with milk from the mammary gland and have hair on their bodies.

FUN FACT OF THE POST: The only known living monotremes live in only Australia & New Guinea.


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To learn more about the topics on this post, go to this website!
http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/498588/reproductive-behaviour/48579/Mammals

Waste Disposal

Disposal of the waste

• There are two systems that get rid of waste.
• The two systems are the digestive system and chemical waste.

Digestive System 

• First of all, lets explain what the digestive system is.
• The digestive system is a group of organs working together to convert food into energy and basic nutrients to feed the entire body.

Why is it even important for the mammal?

• As we know, the digestive system break down food into nutrients, which the body uses for energy, growth and cell repair. 
• The body breaks down nutrients from food and drink into carbohydrates, protein, fats, and vitamins. 

Process?

• Process starts in the mouth. Food is partly broken down due to chewing and by salivary enzymes.
• On the way to the stomach- the esophagus. After food is chewed up and swallowed, it enters the esophagus. An esophagus is a long tube running down from the throat to the stomach.
• In the stomach. The food enters the stomach and is partly digested and mixed with stomach acids called chyme. 
• In the small intestine. pancreatic enzymes, and other digestive enzymes produced by the inner wall of the small intestine help in the breakdown of food.
• In the large intestine. In it, some of the water and electrolytes are removed from the food. 
• End of the process. Solid waste is then stored in the rectum until it is released via the anus.

Chemical Waste

• An example of chemical waste is when a mammal breathes out, the chemical carbon dioxide is released from the body.

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FUN FACT OF THE POST!

• The small intestine contains so many folds that its total surface area is about 2,700 square feet, enough to cover a tennis court!

To learn more about this, go onto this website!
http://www.essortment.com/mammals-digestive-system-26910.html

Transport of Nutrients/ Wastes Through The Body

Transporting and getting rid of waste!

1.     Mammals have a circulatory waste and nutrient system!

2.     These systems help the mammals body get rid of waste, which is obviously necessarily for life. Also one of these systems helps transport materials throughout the whole body. 

3.     These are all the systems that mammals use to get rid of the waste in our body. 

Circulatory System

• The Circulatory System is responsible for transporting materials throughout the entire body of the mammal. It transports nutrients, water, and oxygen to the mammals cells. Carries away waste like carbon dioxide that cells produce. 
• The Circulatory system consist of blood, a heart and blood vessels. 

Functions of the Circulatory System

• Gasses are transported
• Oxygen is transported from the lungs to the cells.
• Carbon Dioxide waste is transported from cells to the lungs.
• Transport nutrients to the cells. (Ex. Glucose, ATP)
• Transport other wastes from the cells. (Ex. Ammonia)
• Transport hormones.

Digestive System 

• Previously, we have already learned about the digestive system of a mammal. Let us just briefly go over it again.
• Digestive system is where a group of organs convert food into energy and basic nutrients to feed the whole body.
• Mammals digestion begins in the mouth, then moves through the pharynx, into the esophagus, and then into the stomach and small intestine.

Key Points:

• In the stomach, acids and enzymes are secreted to break down food into its nutrient components.
• The churning of the stomach helps to mix the digestive juices with the food, turning it into a substance called an enzyme. 

Urinary System

• What is the urinary system?
• The urinary system is a group of organs in the mammals body dealing with filtering out excess fluid and other substances from the bloodstream. Substances are filed out in the form of urine.

Key Points:

• The urinary system is responsible for filtering wastes from the blood and both forming and secreting urine. 
• The bladder, ureters, urethras and kidneys are all used to help urine pass through the body of the mammal. 

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FUN FACT OF THE POST!

• The Circulatory System has been studies for thousands of years! The earliest known writing about it appears in the Ebers Papyrus, an Egyptian medical document dating to the 16th century B.C. The papyrus is believed to describe a physiological connection between the heart and the arteries, stating that after a person breathes air into the lungs, the air enters the heart and then flows into the arteries.

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If you would like to know more about these systems then check out these websites!

• http://www.peteducation.com/article.cfm?c=18+1798&aid=3015
• http://www.srvhs.org/staff/teachers/CSoldati/mammalian%20digestive%20system.htm
• http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/360838/mammal/51717/Circulatory-system

Mode of Nutrition

What is Mode of Nutrition?

 -It is divided into 2 sub groups.
    -Heterotrophs & Autotrophs

What is an autrotroph and heterotroph?

Autotroph is an organism that can produce its own food. Heterotroph is an organism that consumes food, but cannot make its own.
 -For example, plants are autotrophs. Humans are heterotrophs.

What are mammals mode of nutrition

Obviously from the last example we stated, mammals are heterotrophs!

All animals weather carnivores, omnivores, herbivores must consume and not produce nutrition.
 Ex. (Carnivores) Lions, leapords, bobcats and foxes
 Ex. (Omnivores) Humans, bears, skunk, racoons and woodpecker
 Ex. (Herbivores) Deer, Moose and Horses

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Ex. Carnivore

 

Ex. Herbivore

Ex. Omnivore

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Heterotrophs have 3 different forms. There is the holozoic, saprophytic and symbiotic.

•  Holozoic nutrition- Food taken in is digested into smaller soluble molecules which can be absorbed and assimilated.
• Saprophytic Nutrition- Organisms feeding on dead or decay organic matter (Food that is digested externally)
• Symbiosis- Interaction between two different organisms in an environment.

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FUN FACT OF THE POST!

• All animals and most bacteria and fungi are heterotrophic.

 

 

If you want to learn more about mode of nutrition in animals then click on this link!

• http://www.edurite.com/kbase/different-modes-of-nutrition-in-animals-examples