Thermoregulation

High school (ages 12+)
Human Body

Name:

Date:

Step 1 · Read the article

Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/thermoregulation

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. What is the scientific name?Thermoregulation
2. What is the habitat?Ubiquitous across all domains of life
3. What is thermoregulation and why is it important?Thermoregulation is the body’s way of keeping its temperature steady. It helps our cells work well and keeps us healthy.
4. How does the brain help keep our body at the right temperature?The hypothalamus acts like a thermostat. It reads signals from sensors all over the body and tells the body to cool down or warm up.

Thermal Homeostasis: The biological process of maintaining a stable internal body temperature.
Hypothalamus: The brain region regulating body temperature and other homeostatic functions.
Vasodilation/Vasoconstriction: Widening/narrowing of blood vessels to control heat loss or conservation.
Ectotherm: An organism whose body temperature depends on external environmental sources.