BRAINCAKEAdaptations for Cold Environments
Animals living in polar regions or at high altitude have anatomical, physiological and behavioural adaptations that reduce heat loss.
Anatomical
• Small surface area to volume ratio. Large, compact bodies with small extremities (short legs, small ears and tails) lose less heat relative to the heat they produce. For example, the Arctic fox has much smaller ears than the fennec fox of the desert.
• Thick insulation. Dense fur or feathers trap a layer of still air. Marine mammals such as seals and whales have a thick layer of blubber (fat) under the skin, which insulates even in water, where fur is less effective.
Sign in free to see the rest of this lesson, the R.E.C.I.P.E. recall steps and the quiz
BrainCake is free. Make an account in seconds and pick up where this page stops.
Key terms in this lesson
- countercurrent heat exchange
- A system in which warm arterial blood and cool venous blood flow in opposite directions close together, transferring heat between them.
- blubber
- A thick layer of fat beneath the skin of marine mammals that insulates the body, even in water.
- brown fat
- A tissue found especially in newborns and hibernators that releases energy directly as heat instead of making ATP.
More in Homeostasis
- Keeping Warm
- Control of Core Body Temperature
- Vasodilation
- Vasoconstriction
- Adaptations for Hot Environments
- Cooling The Brain
- Behavioural Control of Body Temperature
- Cape Ground Squirrel
All 41 lessons in Homeostasis · All Edexcel A-level Biology topics