What Do You Know About Thermoregulation? Trivia Quiz

After a 100 meters race, an athlete's sweat glands become active, causing them to produce sweat. The blood vessels in their skin also dilate, allowing more blood flow to the surface of the skin. This increased blood flow helps to dissipate heat from the body, resulting in a higher skin temperature.

After a period of exercise, the body undergoes several physiological changes to regulate temperature. The correct answer states that the blood vessels are dilated, which means they have expanded to allow for increased blood flow and heat dissipation. The sweat glands are active, producing sweat to cool the body through evaporation. These two factors contribute to a higher skin temperature as the body works to cool itself down.

When the body becomes very cold, the skin's reaction is to constrict the arterioles, which are small blood vessels near the surface of the skin. This constriction helps to reduce blood flow to the skin and conserve heat in the body's core. Additionally, the hair stands on end, a response known as piloerection, which helps to trap a layer of air near the skin and provide insulation. Lastly, sweat production ceases as a way to prevent further heat loss through evaporation.

When body temperature rises, the body responds by increasing blood flow to the skin. This is a mechanism known as vasodilation, where the blood vessels in the skin expand to allow more blood to flow through them. By increasing blood flow to the skin, heat is transferred from the body's core to the skin's surface, where it can be dissipated through sweat evaporation and convection. This helps to cool down the body and regulate its temperature.

When the body temperature rises, the arterioles near the surface of the skin dilate and become wider. This is a physiological response known as vasodilation. The purpose of this response is to increase blood flow to the skin, allowing for the dissipation of heat through radiation and convection. By dilating, the arterioles allow more blood to flow through them, which in turn helps to cool down the body.

Sweat plays a crucial role in regulating body temperature by removing excess heat. When the body temperature rises, sweat glands are stimulated to produce sweat, which is mainly composed of water. As the sweat evaporates from the skin's surface, it cools down the body, helping to maintain a stable internal temperature. While sweat does contain small amounts of salts and urea, its primary function is to dissipate heat.

When the body temperature falls below 37°C, the body undergoes vasoconstriction, which is the narrowing of blood vessels near the skin's surface. This decreases blood flow to the skin, reducing heat loss through radiation. Additionally, the body reduces sweating to conserve heat. These physiological responses help to maintain the body's core temperature in colder conditions.

Sweat is composed of urea, water, and sodium chloride. Urea is a waste product that is excreted by the kidneys and is found in sweat. Water is the main component of sweat, which helps to regulate body temperature through evaporation. Sodium chloride, also known as salt, is present in sweat and helps to maintain the body's electrolyte balance. Therefore, the correct answer is urea + water + sodium chloride.

Sebaceous glands are responsible for producing oil, also known as sebum, which is a waxy substance that helps to lubricate and protect the skin and hair. Adrenaline is produced by the adrenal glands, saliva is produced by the salivary glands, and sweat is produced by sweat glands. Therefore, the correct answer is oil.

The Malpighian layer is responsible for the production of new skin cells and is not directly involved in temperature regulation. The hair erector muscles contract to raise the hair and create an insulating layer, helping to regulate temperature. Fat in the dermis acts as an insulator, providing thermal protection. Nerve endings in the skin help detect temperature changes and transmit signals to the brain for appropriate responses. Therefore, the Malpighian layer is the only option that does not play a part in temperature regulation.

The boy has a larger surface-to-mass ratio, which means that he has more surface area relative to his body size compared to the man. This larger surface area allows for more heat loss through radiation and convection. As a result, the boy loses more heat than the man in identical conditions.

Reduced sweating is the response to overcooling that does not involve muscle contraction. When the body is exposed to cold temperatures, it tries to conserve heat by reducing the amount of sweat produced. This is because sweating leads to evaporative cooling, which can further lower the body temperature. By reducing sweating, the body minimizes heat loss and helps maintain its core temperature. Blood vessels narrowing, hairs standing up, and shivering are all responses that involve muscle contraction to generate heat and counteract overcooling.

The experiment found that small mammals lose more heat per unit weight compared to large mammals, despite both having constant body temperatures. This suggests that small mammals have a higher metabolic rate than large mammals. A higher metabolic rate indicates that small mammals require more energy and generate more heat per unit weight, leading to greater heat loss. This explanation is supported by the observation that small mammals are typically more active than large mammals, as increased activity requires a higher metabolic rate.

Sweating helps to restore correct body temperature following an increase in the temperature of the blood passing through the brain. When the body temperature rises, the sweat glands are activated, and sweat is produced. As the sweat evaporates from the skin, it helps to cool down the body. This process is known as evaporative cooling and is an important mechanism for regulating body temperature. Therefore, sweating is the most effective action among the given options to restore the correct body temperature.

When the core temperature of the body increases, the diameter of superficial blood vessels increases. This is a physiological response known as vasodilation, which helps to dissipate heat from the body's core to the skin's surface, promoting heat loss through radiation. On the other hand, urine production decreases as a result of increased fluid conservation by the body. This is because the body tries to retain more water to prevent dehydration caused by excessive sweating and to maintain fluid balance.

Respiration is the correct answer because it is the process by which mammals generate heat to maintain their body temperature above that of the surrounding environment. Through respiration, mammals take in oxygen and release carbon dioxide, which helps in the production of energy and heat. This continuous process of respiration ensures that the mammal's body temperature remains elevated. Digestion, shivering, and sweating are not necessarily continuous processes required for maintaining body temperature in mammals.

On a hot day, the body needs to cool down to maintain its temperature. One way it does this is by increasing blood flow to the skin. Arterioles, small blood vessels, can constrict or relax to control blood flow. When arterioles relax, they widen, allowing more blood to flow through them. This increased blood flow brings more heat from the body's core to the skin's surface, where it can be dissipated. Therefore, the relaxation of arterioles allows the skin capillaries to carry more blood, facilitating heat loss from the skin.