A pharmacist gives advice to a parent whose child has a high temperature caused by a viral disease. The child is drinking small amounts of water and resting...
Question 1 Report
A pharmacist gives advice to a parent whose child has a high temperature caused by a viral disease. The child is drinking small amounts of water and resting in a cool room. The parent asks why the child alternates between feeling cold and sweating. The pharmacist explains that the temperature-control centre in the brain can change its target temperature during infection. A medicine may lower the target temperature, after which the body can respond by widening skin blood vessels and producing sweat. The parent must seek medical advice if serious symptoms develop.
(a) Identify the body system that detects and coordinates a temperature response. [1]
(b) Explain why sweating may occur when a fever begins to fall. [2]
(c) Give one reason why the child should drink water. [1]
(d) Which response would reduce heat loss when the child feels cold: vasodilation or vasoconstriction? [1]
(e) Suggest one reason why a very high temperature can be dangerous. [1]
Answer Details
(a) Nervous system [1] (b) Sweat evaporates from the skin [1]; evaporation transfers thermal energy away from the body [1] (c) To replace water lost in sweat / prevent dehydration [1] (d) Vasoconstriction [1] (e) Enzymes/proteins may denature / cells may stop functioning correctly [1]
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