BS2001 Lecture 1 introduction Tutorial questions

1. The onset of sweating during a fever is viewed as a good sign because it often
indicates that the fever has broken. What might be the physiological (study of what is
normal) basis for this view?

Fever causes the increase of core body temperature and the brain triggers a negative feedback system,
causing the body to start sweating. Sweating causes the loss of body heat to the external environment,
which means that the core temperature of the body decreases back to the normal core body temperature.
This can indicate that the fever is broken.

Infection/Inflammation release pyrogens -> prostaglandin released -> triggers hypothalamus (more
stimulated) -> increase in sweat point

Reduce prostaglandin -> hypothalamus less stimulated -> set point drops -> new set point

2. Mr Charles Blagden in the late 18th century experimented on the tolerance of

living bodies to heat. He entered a room heated to 105 degrees C,
accompanied by some eggs, a raw steak and a dog. Fifteen minutes later the
steak and eggs were cooked but Mr Blagden and the dog came out alive.
Speculate on the plausible thermoregulatory mechanism that enable Mr. Blagden
and his dog to survive.

When the temperature of the room rises above our normal body temperature, the touch receptors send a
signal to the hypothalamus in the brain, and the sympathetic nervous system will be triggered to allow
heat to be lost in the body to prevent the core body temperature from increasing too much. The body
starts to lose heat by sweating as well as skin vasodilation.

Sweating.
Initial set point is lower (~36-37 degrees) -> body heats up because of environment -> brain tells body
to start sweating in order to lose heat.

3. The composition of the body fluid outside the cells of the body is essentially the same
as that inside the cells. True or false?

False. (slide 32)

4. Indicate whether the following physiological event represents

(a) intrinsic control (within the organ)
(b) negative feedback control (the other direction)
(c) positive feedback control (increase/enhance)
(d) feedforward control (anticipation)
(a) and (b) increased blood flow into muscle tissue in response to a localized increase in
carbon dioxide (need more oxygen)
(b) the release of a hormone to lower blood calcium levels when it gets too high
(b) and (c) increased cardiac activity to elevate blood pressure when systemic pressure is low
rapid clotting of blood due to increasing levels of platelet activity at a site of vessel
damage (the heart effectively does not sense pressure, sensed by vessels)
(d) Increase of insulin secretion in response to food in the digestive tract. (in anticipation of
your meal times)

5. A postganglionic neuron

A. Releases neurotransmitter at the effector cell

B. Is the first part of an autonomic motor pathway
C. Has its cell body in the brain or spinal cord
D. Can innervate a preganglionic neuron.

6. Which of the following statement describes epithelial tissue?

A. It contains large amounts of protein fibers

B. It is always arranged in a single layer of cells.
C. It is avascular
D. It is present only on the outer or inner surface of the body.

7. In fever production,
A. endogenous pyrogen released from neurons of the cerebral cortex in response to an
infection elevates the hypothalamic "set point." (endogenous pyrogen is released
from ,not neurons)
B. cold response mechanisms are initiated by the hypothalamus to raise the body
temperature to the new set point.
C. heat loss mechanisms are triggered to eliminate the excess heat from the body.
D. both A and B occur.

8. The dermis of the skin is ________ tissue.

A. connective
B. endocrine
C. epithelial
D. muscle

9. Which of the following does not describe the sympathetic nervous system?
A. Short preganglionic neurons
B. Thoracolumbar output
C. Stimulate sweat glands
D. Synapse with skeletal muscle (skeletal muscles controlled by somatic nervous
system – voluntarily)

10. Which of the following factors of the internal environment is not maintained at
relatively constant levels normally?
A. The concentration of nutrient molecules.
B. The concentration of nitrogen gas, of which 80% of the atmospheric air is
composed.
C. The concentration of oxygen and carbon dioxide.
D. The pH.
11. The internal environment
A. refers to the intracellular fluid compartment of the body. (extracellular)
B. is regulated to remain relatively constant by specialized activities of many body
cells.
C. is the medium for exchange of nutrients and wastes for the body's cells.
D. A and B.
E. B and C.

12. Which of the following is correct?

A. Sweating is an active evaporative heat-loss process under sympathetic nervous
control. (not constantly sweating, has to be induced)
B. Sweating is the only means of losing heat when the environmental temperature is
warmer than body temperature.
C. Both A and B are correct.
D. None of the above answers is correct.