College

In January, Jesse Thompson, a cross-media reporter with ABC Radio Darwin, conducted an experiment on himself by swallowing a tiny thermometer pill. This was to find out what effect the hot, humid weather was having on his body as he went about his daily activities.

Over 24 hours, the thermometer pill measured Jesse's core body temperature every two minutes as it traveled through his digestive tract and was eventually eliminated.

On this day, Jesse was physically active outdoors between 8:15 - 8:45 am and 3:00 - 3:30 pm. He also ventured out of the air-conditioned ABC Darwin building to interview people working outdoors around lunchtime. He slept from 11 pm to 6 am.

This is the question you need to answer:

Explain how Jesse's temperature responses over the day demonstrate that core body temperature is a homeostatically regulated variable.

In your answer, you should:

- Refer to the data presented in the figure above, considering the overall trend and any significant fluctuations when he was outdoors between 8:00 and 17:00 only.
- Use your knowledge of how feedback loops or mechanisms that maintain homeostasis work.
- Include the physiological processes responsible for the alterations in Jesse's core body temperature.

Answer :

Final answer:

Jesse's body temperature fluctuations throughout the day demonstrated the homeostatic regulation of core body temperature. When his body became warmer outdoors or active, thermoreceptors would detect the change and the hypothalamus would stimulate the sweat glands to cool the body. Similarly, when in cooler environments or at rest, the hypothalamus would stimulate heat production to maintain optimum body temperature.

Explanation:

Jesse's experiment demonstrated homeostatic regulation of core body temperature in a clear way. The body maintains homeostasis, or a stable equilibrium in its internal environment crucial for its survival, through a system of feedback loops. These mechanisms help control variables like body temperature. When Jesse went outdoors and did exercise in the hot sun, his body temperature rose due to the external heat and increased metabolic activity due to exercise. This change was detected by thermoreceptors, which then sent a signal to the control center, the hypothalamus. In response, the hypothalamus stimulated effector organs like sweat glands to produce sweat, a physiological process known as sweating, to cool down the body through evaporation.

When Jesse was asleep or in an air-conditioned room, his physical activity and exposure to external heat was low. This resulted in a lower body temperature. The hypothalamus, again, recognized this change and signaled effector organs like muscles and the liver, enhancing metabolic heat production. These fluctuations indicate that the body was continuously adjusting to keep the core body temperature within a narrow, healthy range, demonstrating homeostatic regulation.

Learn more about Homeostatic Regulation here:

https://brainly.com/question/32503486

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