A student enters a swimming pool where the water is cooler than their body. After several minutes, the student's core body temperature begins to fall below the normal range.
State the name of the region of the brain that acts as the coordination centre for this change.
Nerve impulses cause the arterioles supplying capillaries near the skin to become narrower.
State the effect this has on blood flow through these capillaries.
Explain how this change in blood flow reduces the transfer of energy from the body to the cooler surroundings.
As the student's core body temperature returns towards the normal range, the narrowing of the arterioles is reduced.
Suggest why reducing this response is important.
78 exam-style questions on Edexcel GCSE Biology 7.3 Homeostasis and thermoregulation, covering 7.3.1 Importance of a constant internal environment, 7.3.2 Importance of homeostasis, 7.3.3a Thermoregulation via the skin and hypothalamus, and 7.3.3b Vasoconstriction and vasodilation in thermoregulation. Each one has a worked solution and a mark scheme showing where the marks go.