Question

adaptations and homeostasis in arctic animals
passage:
scientists studied various organisms in the arctic to understand how they maintain homeostasis and adapt to extreme conditions. they focused on three species: arctic foxes, snow hares, and arctic bacteria.
study 1: seasonal changes researchers tracked physical changes in arctic foxes and snow hares across seasons.
table 1: seasonal adaptations

season	fox fur color	fox fur thickness (mm)	hare fur color	hare fur thickness (mm)
fall	mixed	25	mixed	20
winter	white	35	white	30
spring	mixed	20	mixed	15

study 2: response to temperature changes scientists monitored body temperature regulation in arctic foxes.
figure 1: fox body temperature response to environmental changes
temperature response in arctic fox

body temperature	environmental temp
38	38
37	37
36	36

study 3: bacterial adaptation researchers studied arctic bacteria populations exposed to different antibiotics over time.

1. the pattern shown in figure 1 best represents which type of homeostatic control?

continuous increase
random fluctuation
positive feedback loop
negative feedback loop

Explanation:

Negative feedback loops work to maintain a stable internal environment by counter - acting changes. In the case of the Arctic fox's body temperature regulation shown in Figure 1, as the environmental temperature changes, the body temperature makes opposing changes to stay within a narrow range, which is characteristic of negative feedback. Positive feedback loops amplify changes, continuous increase is a one - way non - homeostatic change, and random fluctuation has no regulatory pattern.

Answer:

Negative feedback loop