Final Oral Exam Questions

You will sign up for a 2 hour period during finals week. There will be three people at a time in an exam. Each person will be asked about 5 questions, at least one from each chapter. When answering, it is best to begin with the big picture and only then go to specifics. Approach it as if you were teaching someone about the subject. Don't assume that I know anything. The following are the questions that will be asked. Follow-up questions may also be asked to help ascertain the knowledge of the student.

Chapter 13 Gas Exchange

1. Tell me all you know about hemoglobin. What is it called when associated with various other chemicals?

2. Describe the meaning of the hemoglobin-oxygen dissociation curve. Myoglobin.

3. What can shift the hemoglobin-oxygen dissociation curve? What is the Bohr Effect? the Root Effect?

4. How is CO2 carried in the blood? What is the chloride shift?

5. Describe the structure of the mammalian lung and how alveoli are kept open.

6. What are the volumes, spaces, and capacities of lungs that are measured in human ventilation.

7. Describe the ventilation system of birds.

8. Describe fish ventilation.

9. Describe insect ventilation.

10. Describe the ventilation of diving beetles.

Chapter 14 Ionic & Osmotic Balance

1. Describe the osmotic problems and solutions of a marine invertebrate (ex. mussel); fresh-water invertebrate ( ex. clam); terrestrial invertebrate (ex. insect); marine fish (ex tuna), fresh-water fish (ex. trout); amphibians (ex. toad); marine (ex. sea turtle), desert (ex. snake), and fresh-water reptiles (ex. alligator); marine birds (ex. albatross); desert & marine mammals (ex. kangaroo rat, dolphin).

2. Give examples of animals and their environments that illustrate osmotic regulators, osmotic conformers, stenohaline, euryhaline, hypertonic, hypotonic and isotonic.

3. Describe the function of the glomerulus, proximal convoluted tubule, Henle's loop, distal convoluted tubule, collecting tubule, and paratubuler capillaries.

4. How is blood pH affected by the kidney?

5. How is salt conserved by the mammalian kidney?

6. Describe how RPF and GFR are measured.

Chapter 15 Digestion

1. What are vitamins and what functions do they have?

2. Compare the nutritional value and caloric content of fats, carbohydrates and proteins.

3. Describe ruminant digestion and nutrition.

4. Describe rabbit and rat digestion and nutrition.

5. Describe the function of the 4 digestive hormones described in the syllabus.

6. Describe the digestion and absorption of starches or fats or proteins (enzymes, aids etc.)

7. What are the functions in digestion of acid, bile salts, and bicarbonate? What stimulates their release and where are they synthesized?

8. Describe the stimulus for release, function and place of synthesis for the digestive enzymes.

9. Describe and compare the absorption of fats, carbohydrates and proteins.

Last Revised 11/18/99