Chapter 30, Problem 11A

Summary Introduction

To determine:

The advantage of shorter extremities of the arctic animals.

Introduction:

Animals living in different regions are adapted to the climates they live. The structures and body functions of the animals are designed in such a way that it maximizes the chance of survival of the species.

Explanation of Solution

The Artic animals live in a very cold region. The heat loss of the animals takes place through their extremities. The decrease in the length of extremities decreases the surface area to volume ratio, as a result less heat loss occurs in through extremities and all the metabolic heat is conserved in the body. This helps in keeping the animal warm in the colder climate.