Question

In mammals and birds, why is it necessary to separate oxygenated and deoxygenated blood?

Answer 1

Hint: The circulatory system of mammals and birds is more efficient and can maintain their constant body temperature.

Complete answer:
Birds and mammals are warm-blooded animals or homeotherms. When the warm-blooded animals are in hotter climatic conditions, they maintain constant body temperature by cooling themselves, and similarly, when they are in cooler climatic conditions, they maintain body temperature by warming their bodies. To maintain constant body temperature these animals need more oxygen to perform more cellular respiration and can produce more energy. Separation of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood allows a highly efficient supply of oxygen to the body required for this purpose.

Additional information:
- The homeothermic species maintain stable body temperature by regulating metabolic processes.
- Generally, warm-bloodedness refers to three separate categories of -
> Endothermy is the ability to control body temperatures in certain animals through certain internal mechanisms like muscle shivering or by increasing metabolism.
> Homeothermy is the ability of certain animals to maintain a constant body temperature which does not get influenced by external means and temperatures.
> Tachy Metabolism maintains a high "resting" metabolism. They are active all the time.
Body heat is generated by metabolism. This is the chemical reaction where the cells break down the glucose molecule into the water and carbon dioxide and generate ATP (adenosine triphosphate), which is a high-energy compound and is used as energy currency to power other cellular processes.
- The oxygenated and Deoxygenated blood must be separated so that the body does not generate excessive heat due to excessive production of carbon dioxide.
- Animals that live without control over their body temperatures are called cold-blooded animals.
- Biologists describe these animals as being ectothermic, to describe the animals that get their body heat from external sources.
- If the environment is warm, a cold-blooded animal will be warm. If the environment is cold, the animal is cold. Hence, these animals do not require much oxygen $O_2$ for more cellular respiration, and separation of oxygenated and deoxygenated blood is also not needed.
- Cold-blooded animals include insects, arachnids, reptiles, fish, and amphibians.

Notes: The ability of an organism in which the animals keep body temperature irrespective of the external temperatures. The process of thermoregulation is controlled by the preoptic area of the anterior hypothalamus in the case of both ectotherms (need heat from outside), and endotherm (produce heat inside the body). One of the first models of temperature regulation was formulated by Aschoff in 1956.