Question

3. Mrs. Natasha gave birth to a boy child and her friend Mrs. Tina gave birth to a female child. When the babies are born, the environment is different both inside and outside of the body. Based on the above case answer your questions. (2.5 Marks)

a) How do the new born girl and boy babies are coping up with new environment?

b) What type of enzyme and neurotransmitters are involved with this process?

c) Is there any difference between these babies in coping up with the new environment? Comment on it.

d) Which type of tissue is involved in this process?

e) Mention the name of the gas which is involved in this process.

f) Write any two locations of this tissue.

Answer 1

(a) New borns have about three times more surface area in relation to their volume. So they tend to lose heat more rapidly, by way of evaporation, conduction , convection and radiation. Nature has given them brown adipose tissue which helps them keep warm. This helps the newborn babies to maintain temperature by way of non-shivering thermogenesis. Babies are prone to have more temperature changes if not properly cared. ( Normal average body temperature in armpit is 98.6 degree F)

(b) Thermogenin protein present in brown adipose tissue facilitates return of protons which were pumped out of Mitochondria during electron transport chain. This helps in formation of heat instead of ATP.

Serotonin ,the neurotransmitter , helps in control of temperature .It is directly involved in hypothalamic control of body temperature. (Hypothalamus is thermoregulatory centre).

(c) Yes , baby girls have about 50% more body fat as compared to baby boys. So baby girls maintain temperature better than baby boys.

(d) Brown adipose tissue (brown fat) helps thermoregulation in babies.

(e). Oxygen .- Brown adipose tissue contains more capillaries that supply oxygen and nutrients .

(f) Brown adipose tissue is mainly found in interscapular , supraclavicular , surrounding kidneys, neck, pericardial tissue . It contains about 5% of body mass.