Animal physiology. Adaptation and Environment

Description

This book is about animals and their problems. It is not only about how animals function, but about the problems of living and how animals solve them. It is also about aspects of physiology that I find particularly fascinating or interesting. The book is written for the student who wants to know what animals do and how they do it. The text deals with the familiar subjects of physiology: respiration, circulation, digestion, and soon. These subjects are treated in thirteen chapters, arranged according to major environmental features: oxygen, food and energy, temperature, and water. I consider this arrangement important, for there is no way to be a good physiologist, or a good biologist for that matter, without understanding how living organisms function in their environment. The book is elementary and the needed background is minimal. The first edition of Animal Physiology has been widely used and praised as an introductory textbook. Here are some of the significant changes in this second edition: —The entire text has been revised and much of it rewritten. —New material has been added, expanding the book by 10 percent. — Fifteen new photographs illustrate important concepts and principles. — All figures have been redrawn in a clear and appealing style. — SI units are introduced, although traditional metric units are retained for those who are not yet comfortable with the International System of Units. —The entire text has been redesigned and reset in an attractive and readable style. The result is an enlightening, cohesive, readable, and enjoyable text by one of the world's foremost animal physiologists. It should continue to appeal to teachers and students as a leading introduction to the field.