Chapter 12: Thermoregulation Flashcards
What is hyperthermia?
A state which the internal temperature rises above the set point
What is hypothermia?
A state in which the internal temperature drops below the set point
What is thermoregulation?
The process by which animals maintain their body temperature within a normal range
What is an endotherm?
An animal that retains heat generated by metabolic activity
What are some structural features of endotherms?
Insulation, brown adipose tissue and shape and size
How does brown adipose tissue keep animals warm?
It is richly endowed with blood vessels and mitochondria, it also insulates and helps generate metabolic heat
What are some behavioural responses to to extreme temperatures?
Huddling and shutting down in extreme conditions (torpor)
What is kleptothermy?
A form of thermoregulation in which an animal shares in the metabolic thermogenesis of another animal; its most common form is huddling
What is torpor?
A state of decreased pysiological activity, usually by a reduced body temperature and metabolic rate
What is hibernation?
A period of dormancy over long periods of cold condtitons (a long version of torpor)
What is aestivation?
Dormancy in some animals during periods of drought
What is vasodilation?
Dilation (widening) of blood vessels, particularly arteriols
What is vasoconstriction?
The constriction of blood vessels by the surrounding smooth muscle cells, which increases blood pressure and redirects blood flow away from the contricted vessel
What is counter-current heat exchange?
A current that fows in the opposite direction to another current. Blood traveling in arteries warms the blood returning in the veins
What is thermogenesis?
The process of heat production in organisms (shivering)
