What physiological effects might you experience during very humid and very dry conditions?
What will be an ideal response?
ANSWER: When the weather is hot and humid, the body is not able to cool itself through evaporation and a number of heat-related problems may occur. For example, in hot weather when human body temperature rises, the hypothalamus gland activates the body's heat-regulating mechanism and more than ten million sweat glands wet the body with as much as two liters of liquid per hour. As this perspiration evaporates, rapid loss of water and salt can result in a chemical imbalance that may lead to heat cramps. Excessive water loss through perspiring coupled with an increasing body temperature may result in heat exhaustion—fatigue, headache, nausea, and even fainting. If one's body temperature rises above ˜41 degrees Celsius (106 degrees Fahrenheit), heat stroke can occur, resulting in complete failure of the circulatory functions. If body temperature continues to rise, death may result.
?
When the air temperature is high and the relative humidity low, perspiration on the skin evaporates quickly, often making us feel that the air temperature is lower than it really is.
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What will be an ideal response?
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