BRAINCAKELosing or Gaining Heat
Body temperature stays constant when heat gain equals heat loss. Heat is produced inside the body by metabolism, mainly respiration in the liver and muscles, and is exchanged with the surroundings in four ways:
• radiation: infrared energy given off or absorbed by the skin
• conduction: transfer to or from anything the body touches, such as air, water or the ground
• convection: moving air or water carries heat away from the skin
• evaporation of water from sweat and from the lungs, which uses latent heat and so cools the body
When the surroundings are hotter than the skin, the body gains heat by radiation, conduction and convection, so evaporation is then the only way to lose heat.
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All 41 lessons in Homeostasis · All Edexcel A-level Biology topics