3/7/2015
Animal Structure and Function
Why study biology?
Some thoughts…
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Mac Plus 1984
$2599
8 MHz processor
1 MB RAM
3.5-inch doublesided 800 KB floppy
drive
2015 Apple iPad 1.4 GHz
processor
16 GB Flash Memory, 1
GB RAM Memory
$370
Moore’s Law
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Moore’s Law-George Moore cofounder Intel
• Processor power
will double every
2 years
• Linked to
processor prices,
memory,
sensors, pixels in
digital cameras
Manual DNA
sequencing
Automated
DNA
sequencing
MiniION sequencer
• $900 USB device
• 150 million bp in 6 h
• GridION human genome in 15 minutes
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Moore’s Law in science?
The Challenger Expedition (18721876) – the birth of oceanography
Neptune Canada – Internet based
marine observatory
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White shark biology
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=D4S4B
XeHvX0
• http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=n9L4M
wn6wu0
• Discovery resulting from opportunity and
technology
Farallon islands 27 miles west of
SF golden gate bridge
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The Devil’s Teeth by Susan Casey
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How long do they live? Unknown. (But probably at least thirty years, considering
that white sharks don’t mature until they’re over ten years old)
Where do they mate, or when, or how often, or even how? There are clues to the
sex lives of great white sharks, but no facts.The females return only every other
year, often with fresh, deep bites around their heads. Are these wounds related to
mating? Do the females spend their off years giving birth in warmer waters? For
that matter, how many great whites are there in the oceans? All of this is a
complete mystery.
Pop up
archival
tags
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Objectives of the course
• Learn how animals, plants, and bacteria
work.
• Linkages between biochemistry/cell
biology and whole organism
function/ecology
• Evolution, physical laws
• Learning connections rather than minutia
Evolution, biochemistry/cell
biology
• Organisms
diversified into
major lineages
• Basic biochemical
and cellular
architecture with
modifications
Ecology
• How to make a
living
• Primary
producer
• Microbe
heterotroph
• Filter feeder
• Predator
• Apex Predator
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How do organisms work?
Comparative approach
Bacterium –
heterotroph,
simple
extracellular
digestion,
propulsion
with a
flagellum
Sea anemone – carnivore, but
also benefits from algae,
sedentary
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White shark – Apex predator
• Jawed chordate
• Structural
adaptations
• Physiological and
biochemical
adaptations
• Reproductive
adaptions
• Biological
engineering
Lamprey
White shark jaw
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megalodon
helicoprion
White shark more symmetric tail,
fast swimmer
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Thresher shark asymmetric tail
uses tail to stun prey
Swimming performance
• High aspect ratio tail
• Vertebrate segmented muscle and
cartilaginous skeleton
• Streamlining
• Must swim constantly, pectoral fins
generate lift
– Biochemical – nitrogenous wastes: urea and
other amines create bouyancy
Generating power
• Skeletal
muscle with
sarcomeres
• Closed
circulatory
system,
hemoglobin
• Heated
swimming
muscle
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Limited number of well developed
offspring - Most shark eggs hatch in utero
Bioengineering
• Placoid scales generate forward thrust
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