Imagine a human are immersed in water of temperature 50 degr

Imagine a human are immersed in water of temperature 50 degree F. What effect would this have on the negative feedback loop governing thermoregulation?

Solution

A negative feedback system is one that when it moves away from its desired state, acts to push itself back towards that state. Thus, negative feedback is a method for maintaining stability. Thermoregulation is what the body does to maintain homeostatsis, an constant body temperature.

When your internal temperature gets too hot, your body senses that and commences sweating and blood vessel dilation to hasten the release of heat. This helps you cool down and lower your temperature. Your body does the opposite when you\'re too cold. You stop sweating and constrict blood vessels to reduce the rate of heat loss, trying to increase temperature. If that doesn\'t work, the body can do things like shivering and increasing metabolism, basically getting your muscles and organs to use more energy now so you generate heat and increase your temperature.

This negative feedback to maintain homeostasis is a lot of what being alive is about. Once it stops, you\'re dead, and your temperature reaches equilibrium with your environment.