If a mammal suffered damage to the temperature sensor in its brain, what would be the result?

Question

A.  The integrating center would not receive inputs to compare to the set point. Body temperature could rise or fall to dangerous levels.
B.  Only the integumentary system is required to sense temperature changes. Body temperature would remain stable.
C.  The animal would have to rely on shivering instead of vasoconstriction to maintain body heat.
D.  The animal would fall back onto a more primitive ectothermic mode of regulation.

Clarify Question
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
What type of thinking is required?

Gather Content
What do you already know about temperature regulation? What other information is related to the question?

Choose Answer
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?

Reflect on Process
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?

Answer 1

A.  The integrating center would not receive inputs to compare to the set point. Body temperature could rise or fall to dangerous levels.

Clarify Question
What is the key concept addressed by the question?
        · The question is asking about the effects of the lack of temperature sensing ability in the brain of an animal.
What type of thinking is required?
        · Apply level:
            o You are being asked to take what you already know and use, or apply, it to the loss of temperature-sensing ability.

Gather Content
What do you already know about temperature regulation? What other information is related to the question?
        · Ectotherms have a body temperature that varies with the environment, while endotherms maintain a constant internal body temperature.
        · Mammals are endotherms.
        · Body temperature in mammal is maintained by a negative feedback loop.
        · When body temperature in a mammal begins to deviate from the set point, it is sensed by the integrating center in the central nervous system.
        · The central nervous system formulates a response that will bring the body temperature back to the set point.
        · Vasoconstriction tightens the blood vessels and brings them toward the core of the body. This conserves body temperature in cold environments.
        · Vasodilation widens the blood vessels and moves them closer to the surface of the body. This releases heat to the environment and aids the maintenance of body temperature in warm environments.

Choose Answer
Given what you now know, what information is most likely to produce the correct answer?
        · The nerve endings in the skin, which is a component of the integumentary system, do have the ability to detect temperature changes, but temperature changes are also sensed internally.
        · An endothermic animal cannot change into an ectothermic animal.
        · Without an integrating center sensor, shivering would not be stimulated.
        · Since the temperature sensor, which is a component of the integrating center, is damaged in this example, the central nervous system would not receive inputs to compare to the set point. Consequently it could not formulate a response to a decreased or increased body temperature, and body temperature could vary dangerously.

Reflect on Process
Did your problem-solving process lead you to the correct answer? If not, where did the process break down or lead you astray? How can you revise your approach to produce a more desirable result?
        · Apply level:
            o Answering this question correctly depended on your ability to use body temperature regulation in a new situation. If you got an incorrect answer, did you remember that body temperature regulation in mammals is accomplished through a negative feedback loop, or that the integrating center is a mandatory component of that feedback loop? Did you have trouble extending body temperature regulation to determine the correct answer?