PADI Divemaster Certification Practice Exam

What physiological response does the body have to protect its core temperature?

1. Increase peripheral blood flow

2. Reduce peripheral blood flow

3. Increase blood flow to the skin

4. Reduce blood flow to the heart

The correct answer is: Reduce peripheral blood flow

The physiological response to protect the body's core temperature involves reducing peripheral blood flow. When the body is exposed to cold conditions, it prioritizes maintaining the warm blood circulation around the vital organs located in the core, such as the heart, lungs, and brain. By constricting blood vessels in the extremities, the body minimizes heat loss from the surface, ensuring that the core temperature remains stable. This mechanism is part of the body's thermoregulation process, allowing it to adapt to various environmental temperatures while preserving essential functions. The other options relate to mechanisms that would lead to heat loss rather than preservation. Increasing blood flow to the skin or to peripheral areas would result in greater heat loss, which is counterproductive in a cold environment. Similarly, increasing peripheral blood flow does not serve the purpose of protecting core temperature effectively, and reducing blood flow to the heart can compromise its function, leading to serious physiological consequences.