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Question #47417

Difficulty: 8/10 | 🟢 Free

The Question

Thermoregulation is an energetically expensive process, particularly for small mammals in polar regions. At the cellular level, a major fraction of this basal metabolic energy is utilized by the $Na^+/K^+$ pump to maintain the Resting Membrane Potential (RMP). Which of the following statements regarding the integration of ecological adaptations and neural bioenergetics is INCORRECT?

Options

A.
Small mammals possess a larger surface-area-to-volume ratio, leading to rapid heat dissipation and necessitating a high metabolic rate where $Na^+/K^+$ pumps consume massive amounts of ATP.
B.
According to Allen’s Rule, polar mammals evolve shorter extremities to decrease their surface-area-to-volume ratio, thereby reducing the thermogenic ATP burden on cellular pumps.
C.
The $Na^+/K^+$ pump contributes to thermogenesis by hydrolyzing ATP to actively transport 3 $Na^+$ into the axoplasm and 2 $K^+$ into the extracellular fluid.
D.
The evolutionary restriction of small mammals in polar regions is fundamentally linked to the unsustainable ATP demand required to maintain both core temperature and neuronal ionic gradients.

Check Your Answer

Correct Answer

Step-by-Step Solution

Explanation

How the Examiner Thinks

Evolutionary_Exception

Tackle problems where standard rules evolve or change based on specific environmental constraints.

Concepts Behind This Question

Thermoregulation|Ion pump metabolic cost|Endothermy

Why This Question Is Tricky

Common Mistakes

Conceptual Pivot: Students often focus so heavily on the complex ecological synthesis (Allen's Rule, SA:V ratio, and thermogenesis) that they overlook the fundamental, micro-level NCERT fact embedded in the options: the exact direction of ionic flux by the $Na^+/K^+$ pump.

The trap relies on cognitive overload, hiding a basic physiological error (3 Na+ IN instead of OUT) within a high-level bioenergetic context.

Quick Facts About This Question

Question Information

Subject	Biology
Chapter	Neural Control and Coordination - Class 11
Concept	Resting Membrane Potential Ionic Flux
Difficulty	8
Cognitive Load	5
Target Solve Time	120 sec
Access	Free