How do polar bears maintain homeostasis in freezing cold weather? (1 point)

Question

Responses

Their thick fur retains heat.
Their thick fur retains heat.

Their thick skin insulates the internal organs against the cold.
Their thick skin insulates the internal organs against the cold.

Their metabolism speeds up to produce heat.
Their metabolism speeds up to produce heat.

Their metabolism slows down to preserve heat.

Answer 1

Polar bears maintain homeostasis in freezing cold weather primarily through their thick fur, which retains heat. Additionally, they have a layer of fat called blubber beneath their skin that further insulates them against the cold. While their metabolism can adjust slightly to help with heat production, the primary mechanism for maintaining body temperature in extreme cold is through insulation provided by fur and blubber. Therefore, the best response is:

Their thick fur retains heat.

Answer 2

Which example shows an organism that cannot reach homeostasis through internal changes? (1 point)
Responses

A person gets a fever in response to a flu infection.
A person gets a fever in response to a flu infection.

A dog shivers when it is too cold.
A dog shivers when it is too cold.

A lizard is cold, and it moves to a sunny rock to warm up.
A lizard is cold, and it moves to a sunny rock to warm up.

Circulation decreases in a bird when it becomes too warm.

Answer 3

The example that shows an organism that cannot reach homeostasis through internal changes is:

A lizard is cold, and it moves to a sunny rock to warm up.

This is an example of behavioral thermoregulation, where the lizard relies on external environmental conditions to regulate its body temperature, rather than internal physiological changes. Unlike mammals, which can generate internal heat, reptiles like lizards must behavioral adapt to maintain homeostasis.