Which of the following is NOT an example of a feature an animal may use to receive information about its surroundings?

Animals have different sense receptors that are specialized for particular kinds of information.

True or false: The way an organism gathers information depends on the organism and its individual body structures.

Mice, cats, dogs, and other mammals have a unique feature to help them receive information. They have __________ on their faces that sense vibrations to help them stay safe or find prey.

Predators and prey are built differently and receive information in unique ways. A predator has eyes on the front of its head; you can mimic this by holding your hands in a binocular fashion and putting them up to your eyes. A prey animal has eyes on the side of its head. You can mimic this by making the binocular shapes with your hands and crossing your arms (your left hand will be over your right eye and your right hand over your left eye). You will notice that the predator has forward-facing vision but limited peripheral vision, and it is the opposite of the prey animal.

Why would these animals need to receive information differently?

True or false: Animals’ use of their senses is not critical to their survival.

Sugar gliders are nocturnal animals that live in the jungle. At night they must not only find fruit to eat but also avoid predators. They have incredibly large eyes. These eyes are an adaptation for animals that are active at night. Pupils in the eye will dilate and contract to allow more or less light depending on the situation.

Why do the sugar gliders need such large eyes?

Coyotes are a species which has excellent vision and a strong sense of smell. To hunt more effectively, they form packs and use these features to locate and attack their prey. They can run up to 40 miles per hour and communicate with one another using a set of howls. These howls might warn of danger or can tell other coyotes their exact location. Coyotes are considered to be destructive but extremely smart animals.

Which of the following sets of features BEST describes how coyotes receive information?

Jellyfish are unique animals in the sense that they don’t have bones, a brain, or a heart. What they do have rudimentary sensory nerves at the base of their tentacles, which allow them to see light, detect smells, and orient themselves. They do not intentionally sting people to attack because their nervous systems are extremely simple. Instead, the sting is intended to be both a defense mechanism against any creatures it may come into contact with, and also a way to capture potential prey.

Which of the following features does a jellyfish use to receive its information?

Mr. Murphey's class went outside and lined up shoulder to shoulder. Mr. Murphy stood at the end of the line, and he read a sentence aloud from a book. The students complained they couldn't hear if they were not right next to him. He told them to act like a white-tailed deer and cup their hands behind their ears to amplify the sound. They moved their cupped hands towards Mr. Murphy, and when he read the sentence, most students could hear him. He kept walking backward away from the line and repeated the sentence until he was about 200 feet away, and no one could listen to him. When they returned to class, Mr. Murphy asked the class a question.

What was the adaptation that deer have to help them hear soft sounds in the forest?