AQA GCSE Biology (8461), Higher tier · Homeostasis and response › The human nervous system
Practise Control of body temperature. 11 exam-style questions on this subtopic, at up to four difficulty levels, with full mark schemes and a progress tracker. Free, no account needed.
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Which organ also contains temperature receptors that send impulses to the thermoregulatory centre?
Skin
Body temperature is monitored and controlled by the thermoregulatory centre. Where in the body is the thermoregulatory centre?
In the brain
Sample questions
Written for this site in the style of AQA exam questions. They are not taken from real past papers.
Question 1Easy5 marks
Body temperature is monitored and controlled by the thermoregulatory centre.
(a) Where is the thermoregulatory centre? Tick (✓) one box.[1]
Brain
Heart
Liver
Skin
(b) The thermoregulatory centre contains receptors. What are these receptors sensitive to?[1]
(c) Which organ also contains temperature receptors that send impulses to the thermoregulatory centre?[1]
(d) Give two ways the body responds when body temperature is too low.[2]
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)Answer: Brain
(b)
the temperature of the blood
(c)Answer: Skin
skin
(d)
shivering / skeletal muscles contract
blood vessels supplying the skin capillaries constrict (vasoconstriction)
sweating stops
Question 2Medium6 marks
On a hot day, a person's body temperature starts to rise.
(a) Explain how sweating helps to lower body temperature.[2]
(b) Explain how vasodilation helps to lower body temperature.[3]
(c) Suggest why sweating cools the body less well when the air is very humid.[1]
Show the answer and mark scheme
(a)
sweat (water) evaporates from the skin
(evaporation) transfers energy from the skin to the environment
(b)
blood vessels supplying the skin capillaries dilate / widen
more blood flows near the surface of the skin
(so) more energy is transferred from the skin to the environment
(c)
less sweat evaporates because the air already contains a lot of water vapour
Question 3Hard3 marks
A patient with a high fever needs to be cooled down. Options include: applying cold, wet flannels to the skin; using an electric fan to blow air over the patient; or giving the patient cold drinks.
Evaluate these methods of helping to cool the patient.[3]
Show the answer and mark scheme
cold, wet flannels transfer energy away from the skin directly and can be applied to areas with a lot of blood flow, e.g. forehead or wrists, cooling the patient fairly quickly
a fan increases the rate of evaporation of sweat and increases energy transfer by convection from the skin, but works more slowly and depends on the patient already sweating
cold drinks replace water lost in sweat, which helps the patient to keep sweating, and cool the body slightly from the inside, but on their own they have a smaller effect than cooling the skin
conclusion, e.g. combining methods, such as cool flannels together with a fan and encouraging fluids, is likely to cool the patient more effectively than relying on just one method