Thermoregulation - Hot and Cold
Biology: Cambridge International GCSE Supplement, topic 14.4.6
Warming up and Cooling Down
Receptors send information to the brain about how hot or cold the body is. A response is then coordinated which either warms or cools the body.
Too hot
- Sweat is released from sweat glands under the skin.
- Hairs lie flat.
- Arteriole blood vessels dilate to allow more blood to enter capillaries that pass close to the skin surface (vasodilation).
Too cold
- Muscle contractions increase, causing shivering.
- Hairs stand on end.
- Arteriole blood vessels constrict to reduce blood flow in capillaries (vasoconstriction).
Test yourself on Thermoregulation - Hot and Cold
What happens to our body when it is too cold?
Which of these does NOT happen to our body when it is too hot?
Which of these will NOT happen if our body is too cold?