B3 - Temperature Control Flashcards
Outline how sweating helps to cool the body.
Sweating helps to cool the body because sweat glands release a droplet of sweat onto the surface of the skin. Heat energy from the body is then used to evaporate it which has a cooling effect.
This will deplete the body’s supply of water and ions so you must drink more fluids.
How is the body temperature monitored?
a) There are temperature receptors on the skin.
b) The thermoregulatory centre measures the temperature of blood flowing through the brain. If it detects a temperature outside the normal range it will take action to reverse the change.
How does the body respond if the core body temperature is too high?
The sweat glands release more sweat droplets.
Capillaries dilate which means more heat can be lost by radiation > vasodilation.
Urine becomes more concentrated and less frequent.
Hairs on the surface of the skin lie flat.
How does the body respond if the core body temperature is too cold?
The muscles respond by contracting rapidly which is shivering. This generates heat very quickly.
The blood capillaries constrict to reduce the flow of the blood through the capillaries so less heat can be lost by radiation.
Hairs on the body stand up which traps a layer of air near the skin. Trapped air is a good insulator.
