An elephant maintains its body temperature within a narrow range - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 9 - 2002 - Paper 1
Question 9
An elephant maintains its body temperature within a narrow range.
In conditions of extreme heat, factors that contribute to increased heat loss from an elephant incl... show full transcript
Worked Solution & Example Answer:An elephant maintains its body temperature within a narrow range - VCE - SSCE Biology - Question 9 - 2002 - Paper 1
Step 1
A. folding the ears against the body.
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Answer
Folding the ears against the body would likely reduce heat loss, as less body surface area is exposed. This action would actually contribute to retaining heat rather than losing it.
Step 2
B. decreased blood flow to the ears.
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Decreased blood flow to the ears helps conserve heat as less warm blood is directed to the extremities, thus minimizing heat loss.
Step 3
C. huddling with others.
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Huddling with others tends to keep mammals warmer through shared body heat, which would reduce individual heat loss.
Step 4
D. flapping the ears.
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Answer
Flapping the ears is a mechanism to increase heat dissipation. The large surface area of an elephant's ears helps in cooling, as moving them can facilitate air flow and enhance heat loss.