Hopeful Monster Project

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Goals of the project:

  1. Understand organ system integration
  2. Recognize effects of adaptations relevant to the environment
  3. Consider potential trade-offs and physiological constraints.

WORKDAY 1:

For the first part of your project choose one type of the following for the animal that you are building::

  1. Skeletal System:
  2. Nervous System:
  3. Circulatory System:
  4. Respiratory System:

For each type of system you choose, describe the benefits of the system and the costs of the system. This can be in a table:

System:BenefitsCosts
Skeletal (exoskeletons)It serves as an excellent barrier against predators, supports the body, and acts as a temporary raincoat to prevent the critter from being wet or dehydrated. Additionally, it shields the animal’s muscles and fragile internal organs from harm.  As it is made up of dead cells, exoskeleton cannot grow. It must be shed out and animal has to wait for inner coat to become harder.
Nervous ( CNS )Aquatic creatures use a variety of sensory modalities to gather information about their surroundings, and they have evolved a number of unique behavioral patterns to help them adapt to their varied aquatic environments.N/A
Circulatory ( Closed circulatory system )Closed circulatory system involves a heart that circulates blood in a single loop, from the heart to the other parts of the body. Additionally, it gathers carbon dioxide, which is once more carried to the heart and subsequently to the gills for elimination from the body.This type of system requires more energy and is more complex as compared to Open circulatory system.
Respiratory ( Cellular anaerobic respiration )By putting their limbs in and out of their exoskeleton, it can assist in adjusting the pressure in their lungs.        Production of lactic acid due to anaerobic respiration results in muscle fatigue.