At the start of an operation in a room at 19 ∘C19\,^\circ\mathrm{C}19∘C, a patient's skeletal muscles are prevented from contracting. At the same time, the arterioles supplying the skin capillaries become wider than normal.
The table shows the patient's temperatures during the operation.
| time from start of operation in minutes | skin temperature in ∘C^\circ\mathrm{C}∘C | core body temperature in ∘C^\circ\mathrm{C}∘C |
|---|---|---|
| 0 | 32.0 | 37.0 |
| 30 | 33.1 | 36.5 |
| 60 | 32.7 | 35.9 |
Suggest explanations for the changes in skin temperature during the 60 minutes.
Explain why the patient's core body temperature falls during the operation.
Explain why some enzyme-controlled reactions in the patient's cells may proceed more slowly at 60 minutes than at 0 minutes.
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.