REU: Collaborative Research: Avian Digestive Physiology: A Comparative and Integrative Approach

REU：合作研究：禽类消化生理学：比较和综合方法

• 批准号: 9020280
• 负责人: William Karasov
• 金额: $ 8.87万
• 依托单位: University of Wisconsin-Madison
• 依托单位国家: 美国
• 项目类别: Standard Grant
• 财政年份: 1991
• 资助国家: 美国
• 起止时间: 1991-04-15 至 1993-09-30
• 项目状态: 已结题
• 来源: https://www.nsf.gov/awardsearch/showAward?AWD_ID=9020280&HistoricalAwards=false
• 关键词: REU; Collaborative; Research; Avian; Digestive

The ability to digest different kinds of foods has an enormous influence on the kinds of foods chosen by animals, on how and when they feed, and on the rates at which they grow and reproduce. The influence of digestive studies on ecology and behavior, however, has been practically ignored. The application of digestive physiology has been hampered by a wide gap between detailed studies of digestion and absorption at the cellular and biochemical levels, and the measurement of food assimilation at the whole organism level. The analogy between the digestive systems of animals and chemical reactors provides a bridge that links measurements of digestive processes at the cellular and whole organism level into a integrative and predictive framework. Mathematical models based on chemical engineering principles will be used to generate and test productions about the digestive processes of birds feeding on nectar and fruit pulp. Our models also provide predictions about the feeding preferences of birds with different physiological traits, and thus provide a direct liaison between digestive processes and the ecologically relevant process of food selection. The digestive traits of animals are not fixed; within a span, they depend on acclimation to different diets. The influence of different diets on the digestive processes of birds with contrasting dietary habits, how changing a diet influences the ability to digest and absorb carbohydrates, lipids, and proteins, and how dietary changes influence these digestive processes at the cellular, organ, and whole organism levels, will be investigated. Chemical reactor theory will be used to integrate our results. In addition to providing a bridge between digestive physiology and ecology and behavior, our research will provide information on the digestive capabilities and limitations of birds in captivity, and in improving husbandry practices for both endangered species in zoological parks and animals with economic value.

消化不同种类食物的能力对动物选择食物的种类、进食的方式和时间，以及它们生长和繁殖的速度有着巨大的影响。然而，消化研究对生态学和行为的影响实际上被忽视了。在细胞和生化水平上对消化和吸收的详细研究与在整个生物体水平上对食物同化的测量之间存在着巨大的差距，这阻碍了消化生理学的应用。动物消化系统和化学反应器之间的类比提供了一座桥梁，将细胞和整个生物体水平的消化过程测量连接到一个综合和预测的框架中。基于化学工程原理的数学模型将用于生成和测试关于鸟类以花蜜和果肉为食的消化过程的产品。我们的模型还可以预测具有不同生理特征的鸟类的摄食偏好，从而提供了消化过程与生态相关的食物选择过程之间的直接联系。动物的消化特性不是固定的；在一段时间内，它们取决于对不同饮食的适应。将研究不同饮食对具有不同饮食习惯的鸟类消化过程的影响，改变饮食如何影响消化和吸收碳水化合物、脂质和蛋白质的能力，以及饮食变化如何影响细胞、器官和整个生物体水平上的这些消化过程。化学反应器理论将用于整合我们的结果。除了在消化生理学、生态学和行为之间架起一座桥梁外，我们的研究还将为圈养鸟类的消化能力和局限性提供信息，并为改善动物园濒危物种和具有经济价值的动物的饲养实践提供信息。