When your body sweats to cool down after becoming overheated, is this response an example of positive or negative feedback?

• A. Negative feedback
• B. Positive feedback

Answer: (A)

Verified step by step guidance

1. Understand the concept of feedback mechanisms: Feedback mechanisms are processes that help maintain homeostasis in the body. They are categorized into two types: positive feedback and negative feedback.
2. Define negative feedback: Negative feedback occurs when the body detects a change and initiates a response to counteract or reverse that change, bringing the system back to its normal state. This is the most common type of feedback in maintaining homeostasis.
3. Define positive feedback: Positive feedback amplifies or increases the change detected by the body, moving the system further away from its normal state. This type of feedback is less common and is typically used in processes like childbirth or blood clotting.
4. Analyze the scenario: Sweating to cool down after becoming overheated is a response where the body detects an increase in temperature and initiates a mechanism (sweating) to lower the temperature back to normal. This is an example of reversing the change, which aligns with the definition of negative feedback.
5. Conclude the reasoning: Based on the definitions and analysis, sweating to cool down is an example of negative feedback because it works to restore the body's temperature to its normal range.