Thermoregulation

This lesson covers:

  1. What the term 'thermoregulation' means 
  2. How the thermoregulatory centre controls our temperature 
  3. How we warm the body by shivering, raising body hairs, and vasoconstriction 
  4. How we cool the body by sweating, lowering body hairs, and vasodilation

Which word refers to the control of our internal body temperature?

Phagocytosis

Thermoregulation 

Deamination

Specialisation

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Illustration of a balance scale with fire and ice representing thermoregulation.

The human body has to be kept around which temperature? 

33°C

35°C

37°C

39°C

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Diagram showing feedback mechanisms involved in thermoregulation.

What type of feedback is involved in thermoregulation?

Negative feedback

Positive feedback

Inverse feedback

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Why do we have to maintain our body temperature at 37°C?

It's the optimum temperature for enzymes to function

It prevents pathogens from surviving

It's the optimum temperature for digestion

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Where in the body is the thermoregulatory centre located?

Spinal cord

Brain

Skin

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What is the role of receptors in the body? 

To coordinate negative feedback

To carry out responses

To detect changes in conditions 

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Temperature receptors are found throughout the body. 


Where are the two main places they're found?

Blood vessels

Liver

Skin

Spinal cord

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Which of the methods below serve to warm the body up?

(Select all that apply)

Relax erector muscles and lower body hairs

Dilate blood vessels near the skin

Contract erector muscles and raise body hairs

Shivering

Constrict blood vessels near the skin

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Is information about skin temperature sent to the brain by the nervous system, or endocrine system?

Nervous

Endocrine

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Explain how shivering warms the body.

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brain / skin / hairs / oils / blood / air


To minimise heat loss we contract erector muscles in the , which raises our . This traps a layer of insulating and so means that less heat energy is lost.

skin
hairs
air

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Which of the methods below help cool us down?

(Select all that apply)

Dilate blood vessels near the skin

Contract erector muscles and raise body hairs

Constrict blood vessels near the skin

Sweating

Relax erector muscles and lower body hairs

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What is vasodilation?

Blood vessels near the skin become wider, increasing the flow of blood in the skin capillaries

Blood vessels near the skin become wider, decreasing the flow of blood in the skin capillaries

Blood vessels near the skin become narrow, decreasing the flow of blood in the skin capillaries

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Illustration of a person sweating to demonstrate thermoregulation.

How does sweat keep us cool?

As sweat evaporates it removes heat energy from the skin

Sweat is cool so it cools us down

It washes the warm oils away from our skin

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