Torpor and diapauses in ectotherm's
torpor is a state directly induced by the low temperate of the
animals environment an example of this is the Adder (Vipera berus), as the
environmental temperature begins to drop to about 8-100C (46-500F),
the Adder will seek out a suitable resting place, their it will bromate until
the first sunny days after the maximum temperature has reached 7.50C
(45.50F), as this species is found in many different areas of Europe
the periods the animal has to withstand this dormancy will vary from 275 days
in northern Europe to 105 in southern Europe and about two weeks in the United
Kingdom (Mayer, 2014).
when there is a harsh climate or there is an intense lack of food, some species have the ability to enter the state torpor, this state can last a matter of hour to weeks, some discoveries have recently been discovered suggesting that metazoan that the proteins sirtuins, the mammalian cardiac clock, lipids and fibroblast growth factor are involved in the induction of torpor. The sirutins link cellular energy status, and the mammalian cardiac clock oxidative stress and the metabolic fuel selection.
During torpor the body will stop consuming carbohydrates and switch to consuming lipids, this is because fasting reduces the cellular nutrients to correct this the cell can attempt to recover the nutrients stasis via remodelling metabolism so that stored lipids become the primary source of fuel.
Torpor is the highly success full way in which animals physiologically cope with periods of low food availability.
Fish like the African lung fish (Protopterus), which will experience environmental stress of drought and their water drying out, they will avoid this by burrowing deep in to the mud, surround themselves with a protective slim and remain their inactive, the gills of this fish will not function during this time, alternatively they use a lung like bladder for respiration, relying on their fat reserves to conserve water, their body will excrete Urea as opposed to ammonia during this time as the ammonia is highly toxic and animals who excrete ammonia require large amounts of water in order to dilute the ammonia to non-toxic levels additionally in order for the fish to prevent unnecessary water loss during times of drought, the excretion of Urea as opposed to ammonia, will help as it is a semi-solid substance of low solubility, requiring little or no water for its excretion (dessert animals and insects also excrete Urea as opposed to ammonia for the same purpose prevention of water loss. (Staff, 2003) (Melvin & Andrews, 2010).
Diapause is a condition of developmental arrest and metabolic depression it is accompanied by physiological and biochemical changes that will generally enhance the environmental stress tolerance and synchronize reproduction this is exhibited in a wide range of animals.
The parasitic wasp (praon volucre) exhibits pupal diapauses when responding to environmental signals during the diapause there was a reduction in the Krebs cycle (cellular respiration) resulting from metabolic depression. Glycolysis was galvanised, to favour polols biosynthesis, the wasp accumulated high levels of cryopotective polyol, (sorbitol) a number of proteins were modulated involving in many different functions the remodelling of the cytoskeleton and cuticle, stress tolerance protein turnover, lipid metabolism and other metabolic enzymes. In natural conditions the insects will respond to seasonal changes through a variety of adaptations one of which is diapause it is an adaptation which is widespread insects and other invertebrates. And it is characterised by increased energy reserves, changes in behaviour, reduction of metabolism, arrested development and usually an increased resistance to environmental stresses. (Colinet, et al., 2012)
when there is a harsh climate or there is an intense lack of food, some species have the ability to enter the state torpor, this state can last a matter of hour to weeks, some discoveries have recently been discovered suggesting that metazoan that the proteins sirtuins, the mammalian cardiac clock, lipids and fibroblast growth factor are involved in the induction of torpor. The sirutins link cellular energy status, and the mammalian cardiac clock oxidative stress and the metabolic fuel selection.
During torpor the body will stop consuming carbohydrates and switch to consuming lipids, this is because fasting reduces the cellular nutrients to correct this the cell can attempt to recover the nutrients stasis via remodelling metabolism so that stored lipids become the primary source of fuel.
Torpor is the highly success full way in which animals physiologically cope with periods of low food availability.
Fish like the African lung fish (Protopterus), which will experience environmental stress of drought and their water drying out, they will avoid this by burrowing deep in to the mud, surround themselves with a protective slim and remain their inactive, the gills of this fish will not function during this time, alternatively they use a lung like bladder for respiration, relying on their fat reserves to conserve water, their body will excrete Urea as opposed to ammonia during this time as the ammonia is highly toxic and animals who excrete ammonia require large amounts of water in order to dilute the ammonia to non-toxic levels additionally in order for the fish to prevent unnecessary water loss during times of drought, the excretion of Urea as opposed to ammonia, will help as it is a semi-solid substance of low solubility, requiring little or no water for its excretion (dessert animals and insects also excrete Urea as opposed to ammonia for the same purpose prevention of water loss. (Staff, 2003) (Melvin & Andrews, 2010).
Diapause is a condition of developmental arrest and metabolic depression it is accompanied by physiological and biochemical changes that will generally enhance the environmental stress tolerance and synchronize reproduction this is exhibited in a wide range of animals.
The parasitic wasp (praon volucre) exhibits pupal diapauses when responding to environmental signals during the diapause there was a reduction in the Krebs cycle (cellular respiration) resulting from metabolic depression. Glycolysis was galvanised, to favour polols biosynthesis, the wasp accumulated high levels of cryopotective polyol, (sorbitol) a number of proteins were modulated involving in many different functions the remodelling of the cytoskeleton and cuticle, stress tolerance protein turnover, lipid metabolism and other metabolic enzymes. In natural conditions the insects will respond to seasonal changes through a variety of adaptations one of which is diapause it is an adaptation which is widespread insects and other invertebrates. And it is characterised by increased energy reserves, changes in behaviour, reduction of metabolism, arrested development and usually an increased resistance to environmental stresses. (Colinet, et al., 2012)