Body temperature was tracked in a person exposed to cold stress. The graph shows the rise and fall of body temperature, with shivering activity overlaid.
Which homeostatic mechanism best explains the return to set point?
- Acheck_circle
Negative feedback: shivering and vasoconstriction restore body temperature.
- B
Positive feedback drives temperature away from set point.
- C
The set point shifts downward over time.
- D
No regulation occurs.
Explanation
Hypothalamic detection of cold triggers compensatory mechanisms (shivering, vasoconstriction, metabolic heat) that return body temperature to the set point - hallmark negative feedback.