[Campbell Biology P.930] Which statement accurately differentiates between a physiological r... | Practice Question

Which statement accurately differentiates between a physiological regulator and a conformer regarding their response to environmental variables, as described in the text?

  • A: A regulator maintains relatively constant internal conditions despite external fluctuations, whereas a conformer's internal conditions largely change in parallel with the external environment.
  • B: Regulators are exclusively warm-blooded organisms, while conformers are exclusively cold-blooded.
  • C: Regulators only control body temperature, while conformers only control solute concentration.
  • D: A conformer possesses no internal mechanisms to adjust to any environmental changes.

Explanation

The text clearly defines a regulator as an animal that 'uses internal mechanisms to control internal change in the face of external fluctuation,' while a conformer 'allows its internal condition to change in accordance with external changes in the particular variable.' Option A accurately reflects these definitions.