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Description
Newborrns; The Thermostat; Desert Dwellers
Metadata describing this Open University video programme
Module code and title: S324, Animal physiology
Item code: S324; VCR3
First transmission date: 1985
Published: 1985
Rights Statement:
Restrictions on use:
Duration: 00:27:07
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Producer: Aileen Llewellyn
Contributors: Craig Heller; Jeff Thomas
Publisher: BBC Open University
Keyword(s): Camel; Dehydration; Desert dwellers; Heat; Human; Man; Squirrel; Thermo-regulation; Thermostats; Ultrasound; Newborns; the thermostat; desert dwellers
Footage description: This video is designed for use at S324 summer school tutorials. It is made up of three sequences each dealing with different aspects of the control of body temperature in mammals. Newborns: this sequence invites students to speculate on the retrieval behaviour of a female mouse for new born pups. Students will be asked to suggest ways of deciphering this behaviour pattern. It emphasizes one of the key problems in research of this kind, that is the need to always be aware that the sensory world of other animals may well be very different from our own. In this case, ultrasonic calls emitted by baby mice placed under cold stress, are shown to be responsible for the mother's response. The Thermostat : could a biological thermostat exist in the brain? Dr. Kraig Heller of the University of Stanford, California, has evidence to suggest that such a thermostat does exist. he takes us through the arguments that could explain how mammals are able to construct a thermostat, and maintain such precise control of their body temperature. The experiments involve sugically implanting electrodes in the brain and although the implanted animals do not suffer any pain, the film is not suitable viewing for a general audience. Desert Dwellers: the hot dry conditions of the desert are generally inhospitable to most mammals but there are some species like the camel that are well adopted to such an environment. We compare the performance of a man with a camel during a day in the desert heat. We find that their ability to cope with intense heat and dehydration are due to differences in theri basic physiology.
Master spool number: HOU4340
Production number: FOUS282W
Videofinder number: 1847
Available to public: no