Thermoregulation Flashcards
(13 cards)
what’s the thermoregulatory centre of our brain called
hypothalamus
what do the receptors in the thermoregulatory system do
monitor the internal body temperature as blood flows through the brain
what do receptors on the surface of our skin do
monitor the temperature at the surface of the body
where are the receptors that detect temperature changes in our body located
1) The Skin
2) Brain
what is the ideal human body temperature
37 degrees celsius
what does our body do when we are too hot
the body sweats
what does our body do when we are too cold
the body shivers
what happens when we sweat in relation to heat energy
heat energy from the body is transferred to the water and when It has enough energy it evaporates.
when it does evaporate, it takes the heat with it reducing the overall body temperature
what happens when you shiver
When we are too cold, muscles start to contract automatically. This makes us shiver.
This process needs energy, which is generated through respiration.
Respiration produces heat, which warms us up.
what is vasoconstriction
1) Vasoconstriction is when the muscular walls contract in blood vessels
2) This reduces the blood flow to the skin surface and heat energy is kept inside the body.
what is vasodilation
1) If we are too hot, then the muscular walls relax.
2) This allows more blood to enter and flow through capillaries close to the skin surface. The excess heat energy is transferred to the surroundings.
where do ducks lose heat from
ducks lose heat from their feet when they are in cold water
How have ducks evolved
They have evolved to decrease the blood flow to their feet.
This blood is also cooled so that less heat is lost to (conducted away by) the cold water when it reaches the ducks’ feet.
