(a) Why is it important to prevent oxygenated and deoxygenated blood from mixing in birds and mammals ? (b)…
(a) Why is it important to prevent oxygenated and deoxygenated blood from mixing in birds and mammals ?
(b) Which animals can tolerate some mixing of the oxygenated and deoxygenated blood streams ? On what factor does the body temperature of these animals depend ?
Solution
(a) Birds and mammals have high energy needs to maintain their body temperature. The separation of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood allows a highly efficient supply of oxygen to maintain their body temperature.
(b)
Amphibians / reptiles;
Temperature of the environment.