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Adaptations of terrestrial arthropods and especially arachnids to arid environmental conditions
Byronová, Markéta ; Starostová, Zuzana (advisor) ; Opatová, Věra (referee)
The biggest problem that terrestrial animals have to deal with is the risk of dehydration. Water is lost by evaporation during respiration and through the body surface, during excretion and various secretions. Terrestrial animals developed various physiological, morphological and behavioral adaptations against water loss. This work summarizes the knowledge about adaptations against water loss in arthropods in arid environmental conditions. It focuses on arachnids and especially on scorpions, which are widespread in arid areas and show high resistance to extreme desert conditions. The work examines the influence of environmental conditions on physiological processes in the body, morphological adaptations and behavioral changes. It defines specific adaptations of scorpions and describes in more detail the role of the hepatopancreas in maintaining the balance of fluids in the body and the subsequent changes in the osmolarity of hemolymph. Key words: evaporation, aridity, water balance, arthropods, arachnids, scorpion
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Evaporative water loss in terrestrial vertebrates
Demešová, Jana ; Starostová, Zuzana (advisor) ; Vohralík, Vladimír (referee)
Evaporative water loss affects physiology, ecology and evolution of individual organisms. This wok summarizes the knowledge about water loss in main groups of terrestrial vertebrates. In addition to physiological processes, it also follows evolutionary trends through adaptations created as a barrier against the water loss or as a method of cooling by evaporation. From an ecological point of view, it examines whether these adaptations have enabled some of them to inhabit extreme habitats. The topic of water loss by evaporation interferes with other topics such as thermoregulation or metabolism. Key words: evaporation, water loss, aridity, thermoregulation, metabolism, vertebrate
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