An Elephant and a Mouse Are Running in Full Sunlight

question 48

Multiple Choice

An elephant and a mouse are running in full sunlight, and both overheat by the same amount above their normal body temperatures. When they move into the shade and rest, which animal will cool down faster?

• A) The elephant will because it has the higher surface-area-to-volume ratio.
• B) The elephant will because it has the lower surface-area-to-volume ratio.
• C) The mouse will because it has the higher surface-area-to-volume ratio.
• D) They will cool at the same rate because they overheated by the same amount.

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Definitions:

Synaptic Transmission

The process by which neurotransmitters are released by one neuron and received by another, allowing for communication between neurons.

Action Potential

A temporary reversal of the electrical polarity of the membrane of a nerve cell or muscle cell, leading to the transmission of signals along the nerve or muscle fiber.

All-or-none Law

The principle that the strength of a response of a nerve or muscle fiber is not dependent on the strength of the stimulus; if a stimulus is above a certain threshold, a nerve or muscle fiber will fire.

Action Potential

A brief electrical charge that travels down an axon, generating a nerve impulse as a response to a stimulus.