ExpertEasy1 markShort Answer
AQA GCSE · Question 06.3 · Homeostasis and Response
Each time the echidna wakes up, it hunts for food. Suggest why the echidna needs to eat food several times during hibernation.
Each time the echidna wakes up, it hunts for food. Suggest why the echidna needs to eat food several times during hibernation.
How to approach this question
Think about the purpose of food. Even during hibernation, the animal is still alive and its cells are carrying out life processes, which requires energy. Waking up and raising its body temperature is also very energy-intensive. Where does this energy come from?
Full Answer
To get energy / to replenish energy stores.
Hibernation is a state of reduced metabolic activity to conserve energy during periods of cold and low food availability. However, the animal is still alive and its cells respire, using up energy stores (like fat). Waking up periodically and raising the body temperature from ~4°C to ~32°C requires a very large amount of energy. The echidna needs to eat to replenish these energy stores so it can survive the entire winter.
Common mistakes
✗ Vague answers like "to stay alive" or "to avoid starving". Be specific about energy.
✗ Stating it needs to eat to keep warm. While true, the primary reason is to get energy for all life processes, including generating heat.
Practice the full AQA GCSE Biology Foundation Tier Paper 2
67 questions · hints · full answers · grading
More questions from this exam
Q01.1Maple syrup urine disease (MSUD) is a rare inherited human condition. The allele for MSUD is rece...EasyQ01.2Figure 1 shows the inheritance of MSUD in one family. The symbol for a male with MSUD is not in t...EasyQ01.3Persons 1 and 2 in Figure 1 have a child with MSUD and some children without MSUD.
Complete the P...MediumQ01.4What is the phenotype of a person with the genotype Nn?EasyQ01.5What percentage of the offspring in the Punnett square will have MSUD?Easy