Thermoregulation_Unit 3_Todd

radiation

• transfer of heat (as electromagnetic waves) through the air

• all objects emit heat, but how much of it they absorb is dependent on how cool/warm the environment is

conduction

loss/gain of heat from the collisions of adjacent molecules making direct contact

convection

loss/gain of heat due to the movement of water or air

evaporation 

loss of heat due to evaporating perspiration being replaced by cool air 

internal “core”

consists primarily of the organs contained within the head and trunk

outer “shell”

consists of skin and subcutaneous fat

countercurrent heat exchange

mechanism of minimizing heat loss through the body through heat recycling - also prioritizes the core

thermoneutral zone 

range of environmental temperatures in which basal heat production is in equilibrium with the rate of heat loss 

basal metabolic rate (BMR)

amount of energy expended daily at rest

thermal discomfort

when the climate is perceived to push us away from the thermoneutral zone

endotherms

have both behavioral and physiological thermoregulatory responses