internal stimuli and behaviors notes

Animal Responses to Internal Stimuli:

Animal Responses to Internal Stimuli Indicator 6-3.6

Overview:

Overview Animals have internal stimuli , or cues, including hunger , thirst, and sleep , that ensure their survival .

Hunger:

Hunger The importance of hunger is that it cues animals to eat. Animals need food for energy and, therefore, for survival.

Thirst:

Thirst The importance of thirst is that it cues animals to take in water . Animals need water since their bodies are mostly made of water .

Sleep:

Sleep The importance of sleepiness is that it cues the animal to sleep . Sleep is required to restore the body’s ability to function.

Learned/Inherited Behaviors:

Learned/Inherited Behaviors Indicator 6-3.7

Overview:

Overview A behavior is an activity or action , in response to changes in the environment, which helps an organism survive .

Learned behaviors:

Learned behaviors Some animal behaviors result from direct observations or experiences and are called learned behaviors. There are two types of learned behaviors: Imprinting is a behavior in which newborn animals recognize and follow the first moving object they see. Usually, this moving object is the mother . The imprinting behavior cannot be reversed.

Learned behaviors:

Learned behaviors There are two types of learned behaviors: Conditioning (which includes trial-and-error learning) is a behavior in which an animal learns that a particular stimulus and its response to that stimulus will lead to a good or bad result . For example, chimpanzees learn to use small sticks to dig in the soil for insects , or a child learns that touching a hot object will cause pain.

Inherited behaviors:

Inherited behaviors Some animal behaviors are passed from the parent to the offspring and are with the animal from birth . These are called inherited behaviors, or instincts . Some examples of instincts are: The ability to swim , for example in whales or fish, is an inherited behavior . Whales and fish do not need to be taught how to swim.

Inherited behaviors:

Inherited behaviors Crying in babies is an inherited behavior that is often a response to hunger, thirst , or sleepiness. When a snail digs a hole to lay its eggs, a bird builds a special kind of nest , or when a fiddler crab waves its claw to attract a female , the animals are acting on instinct .