As fruits ripen they emit a chemical called ethylene, which attracts fruit flies. The fruit flies damage the fruit, causing more odor to be released, which attracts more flies, which results in the attraction of still more flies. This is an example of which of the following? a. an error signal. b. negative feedback. c. positive feedback. d. feed-forward information. e. homeostasis. Which is the primary energy input into most ecosystems? obtain energy by harnessing the potential energy stored in the chemical bonds of organic compounds obtained from other organisms. Consumption of is used to estimate metabolic rate. In an environment with an ambient temperature lower than an animal's core body temperature, which physiological or behavioral responses could an animal do to eliminate excess body heat? What is the function of the interstitial fluid? What is phenotypic plasticity? When biologists say that energy is "consumed" or "used up" by an animal, what do they mean? Refer to the figure below. At which point does the birds' highest metabolic cost correlate with their lowest physical outcome?.