Case Study

A. The sensors for cold are located in the thermoreceptors of the skin.

B. The “thermostat” of the body is located in the hypothalamus.

C. The blood vessel constriction that Elaine endured is due to the extremely vascular smooth muscle of her body. She also shivered to produce heat, which stemmed from contraction of skeletal muscles of the body.

2. The areas of Elaine’s body that are most vulnerable to frostbite are any exposed tissues, such as the skin located on her face, as well as her extremities, including her fingers and toes.

Part 2

1. Elaine was likely instructed to remove her parka because it was wet, which would further her heat loss and make her colder.

2. Elaine’s shivering was most likely caused by the early stages of hypothermia. Shivering was her body’s way of producing heat in an attempt to raise its temperature.

3. Elaine’s knee was swollen due to the ligament damage she endured. Ligament damage probably caused a fluid build up which lead to swelling.

4. The dorsalis pedis pulse is taken on the foot. This is to make sure circulation is still in tact. If there was no dorsalis pedis pulse, it would indicate that there was damage caused more proximally, and a pulse should be taken further up the leg to identify where the damage occurred.

5. The meniscuses lie between the condyles of the femur and the condyles of the tibia. The patella is found anteriorly to the knee joint and is secured by the patellar tendon. There are several ligaments on the knee to provide stability.

6. The structures located on the medial surface of the knee are the medial meniscus and the medial collateral ligament.