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Temperature Regulation in Mammals and Birds Aim: To investigate the relationship between the size of an animal and its ability to lose or retain heat. Background knowledge: There are three forms of heat transfer. These are conduction, convection and radiation. Quoted form Physics by Jones and Jones. Conduction involves vibrating particles to their extra vibration energy to neighbouring particles i.e. metals are good conductors. Convection is another method, which occurs when more energetic particles move from the hotter region to the cooler region and take their heat energy with them. The third method is radiation, which travels through anything warm or hot. The amount of heat radiation absorbed or emitted depends on the colour and texture of surface. However this is not the case with conduction and convection (GCSE revision physics by Richard Parsons Biology). Animals that live in arctic conditions such as the polar bear have a minimum surface area in order to reduce heat loss. Camels that live in the desert conditions have a large surface area in order to lose body heat to their surroundings. Organisms that have thin limbs are found in the tropics i.e. humming bird. Elephants have big ears so they have a large surface area to lose heat quickly (GCSE revision Richard Parsons Biology). Animals that live in cold conditions have a large size and compact shape to keep their surface area to a minimum. They have thick fur to keep heat in. Short limbs for insulation and conserving heat. Most heat is lost in the form of water such as sweating (Jones and Jones Biology). When there is high volume as opposed to low volume, there will be faster heat loss. Organisms with a large surface area volume lose heat more easily. Test-tubes of different sizes have different surface area volumes. To work out surface area of a cylinder = (2πr²) + (h x π x d) – Mathematics revision by Richard Parsons To work out the surface area ratio to volume = Surface area Volume I also know from chemistry (Chemistry by Jones and Jones) that increase in surface area allows a reaction to take place faster.
Approximate Word count = 1299
Approximate Pages = 5.2
(250 words per page double spaced)
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