Flashcards: Adaptive Molecular and Neural Strategies — 12 cards

Albedo — meaning?

Fraction of solar radiation reflected by a surface

Snow reflectance — percentage?

Up to about 95%

Polar bear adaptations — traits?

Insulating fur, black skin, high fat, streamlined body, white camouflage, wide hind legs, fat-based hydration

Octopus distributed intelligence — system?

Decentralized processing across arms and central brain

Arms acting independently — reason?

Semi-autonomous actions enabled by distributed neural control

Octopus learning — capability?

Arms can learn locally; knowledge transfer occurs between arms

Synaptotagmin — role?

Membrane protein controlling neurotransmitter release timing

Synaptotagmin mechanism — steps?

Ca2+ binds C2 regions, triggers SNARE, vesicle fuses, releases neurotransmitter

Synaptotagmin-1 — significance?

Supports fast neurotransmitter release for rapid behaviors

RNA editing — process?

Post-transcriptional modification changing RNA sequences

ADAR1 — enzyme?

Adenosine-to-inosine RNA editing enzyme

A→I editing — effect?

Inosine read as guanine, shifting protein coding potential.