Most of the bones are pneumatic, meaning they are hollow and filled with air spaces connected to the respiratory system. Thus the hollow bones reduces the weight of birds which makes the lighter to fly freely.
2. Extensive bone fusion, especially in the pelvic and pectoral regions
The pectoral girdle is made up of the sternum, clavicle, coracoid and scapula. The clavicles come together to form the furcula, or "wishbone". The furcula provides a flexible attachment site for the breast muscles and along with the coracoids act as struts that resist pressure created by the wing stroke during flight. There is an extensive fusion of bones of the pelvic region to provide stiff support for the legs in order to deal with the stress of take-off and landing.
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3. Four chambered heart For the reason being that birds are homoeothermic, their hearts work efficiently to supply the body tissues with enough oxygen to support a high metabolism. All birds have developed a four chambered heart that separate the circulation of oxygenated blood and deoxygenated blood. 4. A system of branching air sacs In most bird species air sacs occupy 15% of the volume of the thorax and abdomen.
These air sacs are particularly well placed to aid the birds in shedding excess heat from its body as it breathes. Air sacs also cools the tissues that are in contact with them.
5. Placement and reduction of reproductive organs
The female reproductive system in birds is reduced in most species to a left ovary and oviduct. This unilateral reduction of the female reproductive system is thought to bear two benefits: it reduces the female’s body and it prevent the potential problem of simultaneously carrying two large fragile eggs within the abdominal cavity. It also balances the body with the liver on the right side adjacent to the left ovary.
6. A highly efficient respiratory system
The respiratory system of birds is different in both structure and function from the respiratory system of mammals. The avian respiratory system delivers oxygen from the air to the tissues and also removes carbon dioxide. In addition, the respiratory system plays an important role in thermoregulation (maintaining normal body temperature). The avian respiratory system is different from that of other vertebrates, with birds having relatively small lungs plus nine air sacs that play an important role in
respiration. 7. Rapid heart beat Flight muscles need a lot of oxygen on a regular basis and to get it the blood must be kept moving rapidly around the system. To achieve this birds have, like mammals, evolved a four chambered heart. Bird’s hearts beats rapidly more per minute to ensure enough oxygen supply to where it is needed. 8. The elimination of teeth and jaw, plus weight reduction in the skull shifts the center of gravity back on a bird’s body and gets rid of the need for a counterbalancing tail Birds have eliminated teeth and jaws to reduce the weight of their head or body in general. The bones of the skull are generally fused providing protection to the brain while being of light weight. A light, toothless beak replaces the bony, heavy toothed jaw of reptiles. Birds have highly shortened tails, which effectively reduce the bird's weight (if we are to compare their tails with that of the Archaeopteryx, which had a long bony tail). 9. A high rate of metabolism The birds have high metabolism because they need more oxygen especially when flying. The high metabolism in birds is associated with their faster digestion of their food, this triggers their metabolism to be more rapid and to ensure continuous energy supply which in turn aid in flight. 10. Extremely light feathers Light feathers reduces the body weight of birds. The feathers also aid in bird flight and so they are required to be lighter to avoid the cost of energy. Furthermore feathers are smooth to reduce the pressure.
In the narrative poem “Cautionary Tale of Girls and Birds of Prey” the author, Sandy Longhorn, tells the story of a young girl who is afraid of a hawk, and her inconsiderate father who doesn’t take her concerns seriously. The story shows how her father is determined to get rid of her fear of the hawk, because he thinks it is both foolish and childish. The daughter very well knows the capability of the hawk, however her father doesn’t acknowledge it until it is too late. In the poem, Longhorn uses alliteration and rhyme to help explore the theme of how being inconsiderate towards others can in the end hurt you as much as it hurts them. The poem takes place on a little farm where the girl and her father live with all of their livestock.
The respiratory system is the system for taking in oxygen and giving off carbon dioxide in organisms. The respiratory systems of California sea lions, king cobras, and bald eagles have a few similarities and differences, but they all allow the intake of oxygen for each organism.
Mink Intro – External Anatomy Overview. (n.d.). mreroh.com . Retrieved May 27, 2014, from http://www.mreroh.com/student/apdocs/Dissection/Intro%20-%20External%20Anatomy.pdf
Indeed, amongst the many disparities between humans and minks, their respiratory systems are very similar for they are both mammals. The metabolic rate is much greater in mammals than any other class of animals, which means the demand for oxygen is greater. Humans and Minks are both endothermic, so they require a more potent respiratory system. Similar to humans the lungs of minks contain millions of alveoli. Alveoli are tiny sacs that are packed together in clusters as if they were grapes. The tiny sacs or alveoli, allows for a greater surface area for the exchange of gases. Another similarity between humans and minks is the air passage. The first stage in air passage is inhalation which is done through the mouth and/or nose. The air then goes past the pharynx to the larynx, through the glottis (opening for the vocal chords), in...
The respiratory system has the function of getting rid of carbon dioxide and acquiring oxygen. It works closely with the circulatory system to feed the body the proper amounts of oxygen it needs to function efficiently. The respiratory system of an American Mink is very similar to that of a human in spite of the fact that there are some minor modifications. Both Humans and Minks have two lungs, the right lung is larger and has three lobes and the left lung has two lobes. The reason why the left lun...
The novel Bird by Bird by Anne Lamott is a book that was written in order to provide “Some instructions on writing and life.” Lamott published the book in 1994 in hopes to share the secrets of what it is truly like to be a writer, as both a warning and as encouragement. Bird by Bird shares with the reader the ironic truth of being a struggling writer through personal experience and humorous stories. Lamott uses memories from her past to help illustrate her points and to help the reader get to know who she is, not only as a writer, but as a person. The author focuses on the true struggles and benefits of being a writer while using metaphors and analogies to express her points, she also wraps her life stories around almost every writing tip.
Often times, a seemingly simple story can convey complex themes. In her short story “A White Heron,” Sarah Orne Jewett is able to dive into the sexuality of her main character Sylvia. Though seemingly innocent on the surface, the reader might interpret the hunt for the elusive white heron as Sylvia’s discovery of herself and her sexuality. Though sexuality may seem like a mature topic for such a young character, it is irresponsible to completely ignore it. Especially in a story with innuendos that rival a romance novel. Jewett uses sexual undertones in the search for a white heron to bring light to Sylvia’s questioning of her sexuality.
The circulatory system and respiratory system share a highly important relationship that is crucial to maintaining the life of an organism. In order for bodily processes to be performed, energy to be created, and homeostasis to be maintained, the exchange of oxygen from the external environment to the intracellular environment is performed by the relationship of these two systems. Starting at the heart, deoxygenated/carbon-dioxide (CO2)-rich blood is moved in through the superior and inferior vena cava into the right atrium, then into the right ventricle when the heart is relaxed. As the heart contracts, the deoxygenated blood is pumped through the pulmonary arteries to capillaries in the lungs. As the organism breathes and intakes oxygenated air, oxygen is exchanged with CO2 in the blood at the capillaries. As the organism breathes out, it expels the CO2 into the external environment. For the blood in the capillaries, it is then moved into pulmonary veins and make
The large ground finches have a higher curve while the medium ground finches have a smaller head and a tiny beak. The place in which the finches live is what changes their appearances and also the weather helps decide the appearance of these finches.
The idea of writing at any school level or in life is seen more as a grueling task than enjoyable experience. In the novel, Bird by Bird, the author Anne Lamott is speaking to a generation of writers, who may be struggling with the process. The content is rich with stories to help the writer analyze his or her own life to add it to their writing style, a concept that may be hard for some people. Bird by Bird is an effective book, because Lamott includes not only writing tips, but a sense of humor along with life advice.
The word “monotreme” is Greek for “one-hole,” referring to the cloaca that is the exit for the urinary, reproductive, and excretory systems (Dawson, 1983). The creatures are oviparous--the females lay eggs that develop outside of her body. This paper will explain the background of the animals, the anatomy of the tract and egg, breeding behavior, and genetics behind this unique reproductive system. It will pay special attention to the similarities of the monotreme reproductive system to those of animals we are more familiar with.
The wild turkey has between 5,000 and 6,000 feathers that cover almost the entire body of an adult turkey in patterns called feather tracts. These feathers provide a variety of survival functions for the wild turkey such as insulation, flight, and advertisement for reproduction. The amount of feathers and the different type of feathers allow it to stay dry and warm while also allowing it to fly. Unlike its domesticated counterpart, who is to large and heavy to fly, wild turkeys can fly up to 55 mph according to NWTF.org (3). Not only can they fly, but they hav...
In today’s society, about seven billion humans are present on Earth, but these individuals did not just magically appear. For this to be possible, a sperm cell must accompany an egg cell, also known as fertilization to create a human being. Sperm and egg cells are created through meiosis, which is a nuclear division that ends in haploid cells that creates mature gametes. Once completed, the sperm begins as a round cell and then generates a tail which gives it mobility to swim to an egg and fertilize it. Fertilization is achievable with the female reproductive system and the male reproductive system. All together, this system is an amalgamation of functional organs and hormones that cooperate together to generate life. The female reproductive system is subject to creating the female sex hormone and egg cell, reception of egg cell from the sperm cell, and providing a location where the fertilized egg can evolve. The male reproductive system is accountable for spawning the male sex hormone, producing sperm, and delivering the sperm to the female’s reproductive system. Once puberty is achieved in females, hormones allow the reproductive system to create mature ova or eggs. In the female body, two white ovaries are present in the uterus, one is located on the left side, and the other is located on the right side. Located inside the ovaries are egg cells and when the female reaches puberty, her egg cells will begin to mature each month. Once they are developed, they will be discharged and enter the fallopian tube. As it is traveling through the tube, it is susceptible to being fertilized by a sperm cell through coitus. If it is fertilized, the egg will adhere to the façade of the uterus and eventually create a follicle and then a zygot...
Unlike most organ systems in the human body, the reproductive system seems to snooze until the individual hits puberty (Marieb & Hoehn, 2013) – when the system reveals its true purpose: sexual reproduction. In the female reproductive system, the primary sex organs, also known as gonads, are the ovaries. The ovaries produces gametes: ova, which are homologous to the sperm produced by the male’s reproductive system. The female internal sex organs include the ovaries and the duct system. The duct system’s accessory ducts are the uterine tubes, the uterus, and the vagina – these are connected from the ovaries to the external genitalia. Ovaries also produce steroid sex hormones: estrogens and progesterone. These hormones have roles in the development and function of the reproductive organs, sexual behavior and drives, and the growth and development of many other organs and tissues. Specifically,
*The speed of migration is different for different species, depending on when they migrate. *A new study has found interesting differences in the migration speeds of early and late migrants between Europe and Africa. *In general, flight velocity of birds ranges from 20 to 50 miles per hour. *For sustained flight, larger birds typically fly faster than smaller birds. * A common flying speed of ducks and geese is between 40 and 50 miles per hour, but among the smaller birds it is much less. *Herons, hawks, Horned Larks, ravens, and shrikes, timed with an automobile speedometer have been found to fly 22 to 28 miles per hour, whereas some of the flycatchers fly at only 10 to 17 miles per hour. *Even such fast-flying birds as the Mourning Dove