Regulation of body temperature
- Created by: Laura
- Created on: 13-04-14 22:11
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- Regulation of body temperature
- Mechanisms of heat loss and gain
- Body temp too low = enzymes don't work as efficiently Body temp too high = enzymes may be denatured meaning the organism may not function
- Methods of gaining heat include: production of heat by the metabolism of food during respiration and gain of heat from environment by conduction, convection and radiation.
- Conduction occurs mainly in solids and is the transfer of energy through matter from particle to particle.
- Convection occurs in fluids and is the transfer of heat as a result of the movement of warmed materials.
- Radiation is very different from conduction and convection. The energy is not transferred by the movement of particles but by electromagnetic waves
- Regulation of body temp in ecotherms
- Ecotherms gain most of their heat from the environment so their body temperature fluctuates with that of the environment.
- An adaptation may be exposing themselves to the sun
- Another may be taking shelter from the sun to prevent over heating
- One other may be gaining warmth from the ground, they spread themselves flat on the hot floor
- Generate metabolic heat from respiration
- They vary in colour, darker colours absorb more heat while light colours reflect more heat
- Regulation of body temp in endotherms
- Endotherms gain most of their heat from internal metabolic activities. their body temp remains relatively constant.
- Core body temp is between 35-44 degrees Celsius. This is a compromise so that enzymes work efficiently.
- They use behavior to maintain a constant body temp. They will shelter from the cold wind or hot sunshine, curl up when its cold and spread out when is warm. they can as well use a wide range of physiological mechanisms to regulate body temp.
- Conserving and gaining heat from a cold environment
- Vasoconstriction were the diameter of the arterioles near the surface of the skin are made smaller, this reduces volume of blood to skin = less heat loss
- Shivering, the muscles of the body undergo involuntary rhythmic contractions that produce metabolic heat
- Raising of hair, thick layer of still air gets trapped which is a good insulator
- Increased metabolic rate which means more heat produced
- Decrease sweating
- Behavioral mechanisms e.g sheltering form the wind
- Losing heat in response to a warm environment
- Vasodialation were the diameter of the arterioles near the surface of the skin expand letting more heat out
- Increased sweating so water evaporates form skin which requires energy
- Lowering of body hair so reducing thickness of insulation layer
- Behavioral mechanisms e.g avoiding the heat of the day by sheltering
- Mechanisms of heat loss and gain
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