Question

The Snowshoe hare’s fur changes with the seasons. The Snowshoe hare has photoreceptors in the retina of their eyes that detect the amount of sunlight in their environment throughout the day. When the receptors detect longer days through the spring and summer, the stimulus causes melanin pigment production in the fur, causing it to look brown. When the receptors are not stimulated as much during the short days of fall and winter, melanin pigment is not produced, and the fur looks white.

The color changing effect of the Snowshoe hare’s fur is an example of the interaction between which two systems?
A
Endocrine and nervous systems
B
Integumentary and circulatory systems
C
Nervous and integumentary systems
D
Endocrine and circulatory systems

Answer 1

A. Endocrine and nervous systems

Photoreceptors are part of the nervous system (sensory input). That light signal alters hormone production (e.g., melatonin) in the endocrine system, which then regulates melanin production in the fur.