Thermoregulation Flashcards
1
Q
What is thermoregulation?
A
Regulating body temperature.
2
Q
What happens on your skin when you’re too hot?
A
- Erector muscles relax, so hairs lie flat.
- Sweat is produced in sweat glands in the dermis, and is released onto skin surface in through pores in the epidermis.
- When sweat evaporates, it transfers energy from your skin to the environment, cooling you down.
3
Q
What is vasodilation?
A
When blood vessels close to the surface of the skin dilate (widen).
4
Q
How does vasodilation cool you down?
A
It allows more blood to flow near the surface, so it can transfer more energy into the surroundings, which cools you down.
5
Q
What happens on your skin when you’re too cold?
A
- Erector muscles contract, so hair stands on end to trap an insulating layer of air near the surface of the skin.
- Very little sweat is produced.
6
Q
What is vasoconstriction?
A
When blood vessels near the surface of the skin constrict (narrow).
7
Q
How does vasoconstriction cool you down?
A
It means less blood flows near the surface, so less energy is transferred to the surroundings.
8
Q
How does shivering warm you up?
A
- Shivering makes your muscles contract automatically.
- This increases your rate of respiration, which transfers more energy to warm the body.
