Biology question

[Jaged]

We are studying the circulatory system in biology and how it helps maintain homeostasis. The teacher mentioned that when you get cold blood rushes to the core of your body to keep your vital organs warm. I then asked why your nose gets red when your cold. Wouldn't a red flesh be the result of excess blood? And I highly doubt that the nose is considered the important enough to rush blood to when your body is trying to keep itself from freezing to death. She was not able to answer this question, and offered extra credit if I found the answer. Could anyone here help me out?

Another question a student asked was why you get a burning sensation in your hands when they get cold for prolonged periods of time. She was not able to answer this either. Anyone know?

[ChewyLSB]

No matter where you bleed, you will bleed red, this is because as soon as the red blood cells get exposed to air, they become oxygenated. That's why you always bleed red, and never clear blood.

[Jaged]

No matter where you bleed, you will bleed red, this is because as soon as the red blood cells get exposed to air, they become oxygenated. That's why you always bleed red, and never clear blood.
:confused: did you even read my post?

I asked why your nose gets red in cold temperatures.

[ChewyLSB]

Haha, whoops, I thought you were asking why your nose bled red... wow, do I feel stupid now...

[ZeusCali]

lol i've been searching on google with varing questions but i can't seem to find non-illness results. Does ones nose actually turn red when it's cold? i thought that's only in sexual arrousal and embarassment. cold hands burning i'd think would be related to the pain not truely the heat. More of the body trying to let you know ofthe danger of frostbite. But give me a second i'll try asking my father.

--edit. Okay myfather isn't sure either but believes that the nose becomes red becomes the body is trying to keep itself warm. Blood is therefore pumped to the nose to attempt to keep it warm. Aswell as the nose being far out from the body. Making it more colder.
conclusion cold makes the nose red because the body is attempting to prevent the nose from freezing.

[Jaged]

Your fathers explination directly contradicts what we learned in class. The body draws blood into its core when cold to keep your vital organs working. As a result other parts of your body (nose included) should have less blood. Trying to keep your nose warm would be a useless waste of heat, and I doubt the body is that stupid.

[EarlyDawn]

Your nose and other extremities turn red because the body pumps blood to them. As for the exact reason, I confess I don't know off the top of my head. It does seem logical that the "core elements" would be protected first, but I would guess the logic is to "Hold the walls" as opposed to the keep; keep the extremities warm and the core won't be in danger.

[Jaged]

That still dosen't make sence. Take a desert rabbit for example. It funnels blood through its ears to loose heat and cool off. Flowing excess blood to your extremeties would have the same effect on your body and cool off the rest of you. Not to mention the entire point of todays lesson in class was that the body lets your limbs get cold first in an effort to keep your vital organs running.

[Incompetent]

Your nose and other extremities turn red because the body pumps blood to them. As for the exact reason, I confess I don't know off the top of my head. It does seem logical that the "core elements" would be protected first, but I would guess the logic is to "Hold the walls" as opposed to the keep; keep the extremities warm and the core won't be in danger.
Sounds about right, defense against frostbite, your body will stay relatively warm by default, but if your fingers (and to a lesser extent, your nose) fall off your fucked.

Edit: sacrifice heat in the short term to maintain functionality in the long term (i.e. the rest of your life.)

[Mango]

Panda magic

[Jaged]

Sounds about right, defense against frostbite, your body will stay relatively warm by default, but if your fingers (and to a lesser extent, your nose) fall off your fucked.
You can survive with out a nose. Lets see you live with out a heart.

[Incompetent]

Survive without fingers when you have to hunt for your own food, and your nose is right next to, you know, your brain, which I would assume you want to keep warm too.

[EarlyDawn]

Core area is naturally warm as a part of it's internal processes. You get frostbite on your extremities, and you can die of infection, ect.

[Jaged]

Survive without fingers when you have to hunt for your own food, and your nose is right next to, you know, your brain, which I would assume you want to keep warm too.
Either way, the heart is more important then your fingers no matter how you cut it. Frozen heart=insta-gib. However your second explination is logical. I would still think the body would be able to distinghush between the two and not waste precious heat keeping your nose warm.

[EarlyDawn]

But once again, as he explained, your core is naturally warm. Why do you think you feel cold on your feet, hands, and head first, instead of your chest or pelvic reigon? Because they're not nautrally heated with the same degree of efficiency as your torso.

[Jaged]

But once again, as he explained, your core is naturally warm. Why do you think you feel cold on your feet, hands, and head first, instead of your chest or pelvic reigon? Because they're not nautrally heated with the same degree of efficiency as your torso.
That is exactly my point. What you described earleir is caused by your body drawing blood from your extremities into your core to keep it warm. The nose is an extremity, and therfore should have blood drawn away from it to heat your core. This would make it cold, wich makes sence because your nose does get cold quickly. This does not explain why it gets red though. Redness is usualy caused by excess blood, not lack of it.

[Incompetent]

Yeah but your forgetting the most important point, all your blood is going through your heart anyway, and it's constantly in motion. If your heart just freezes solid before everything else falls off, there is something seriously wrong with your heart.

And if you didn't have any fingers, up until very recently, your effectively dead, it's just slower.

[Jaged]

Well yes thats true your heart isnt going to freeze very fast, but there are other vital organs in your chest. Another thing I forgot to mention is that the body likes to maintain a constant temperature. Even if things don't freeze, if your core gets too cold its not good. It is a scientific fact that the body draws blood into its center when cold. It wants to keep the temperature the same to maintain homeostasis.

Then again it is possible that what our teacher told us was wrong. I do want more proof before I call her on it though.

[ZeusCali]

i think the body trys to keep the skin warm so that it has a barrier against the cold. But when it becomes very cold it retreats from the skin to the core of the body. Hence the blue in the skin of the blood retreating lol.

Oh wait i just thought of something. Oxygen! your body's way of keep the lungs warm is by having the nose heat it up a little bit before pumping it into the lungs. that's why it's always better to breath through the nose rather then the mouth. SO if the nose got cold then the lungs would get cold. And you'd die.
hmm?

[Incompetent]

IIRC it draws blood away from the skin most places, such as your legs, most of your arms, abdomen, ect, and sinks that deeper to avoid heat loss, but your body isn't stupid, it likes having fingers, and toes and a sense of smell, because lacking them has historically been fatal, it's not going to sacrifice them unless it has too.

[Jaged]

IIRC it draws blood away from the skin most places, such as your legs, most of your arms, abdomen, ect, and sinks that deeper to avoid heat loss, but your body isn't stupid, it likes having fingers, and toes and a sense of smell, because lacking them has historically been fatal, it's not going to sacrifice them unless it has too.
Then explain why your fingers, toes and nose are the first to get cold when the outside temperature drops.

i think the body trys to keep the skin warm so that it has a barrier against the cold. But when it becomes very cold it retreats from the skin to the core of the body. Hence the blue in the skin of the blood retreating lol.

Oh wait i just thought of something. Oxygen! your body's way of keep the lungs warm is by having the nose heat it up a little bit before pumping it into the lungs. that's why it's always better to breath through the nose rather then the mouth. SO if the nose got cold then the lungs would get cold. And you'd die.
hmm?
That is a possibility. However it would make more sence to heat up your wind pipe inside your body so as not to loose heat through your nose.

[Incompetent]

Because they have alot of relative surface area to lose heat.

[Jaged]

Because they have alot of relative surface area to lose heat.
How do your fingers, noes and toes have more surface area then any other part of your body. These parts of your body get cold due to the fact that they are far away from your core.

[Incompetent]

RELATIVE SURFACE AREA, your fingers aren't very big, but they have alot of surface area for there size, and lose heat relatively quickly for there size, but compared to the amount of heat your head loses, it's nothing. Combine that with the fact that traditionally, if you couldn't carry your weight, you got left behind, and keeping your fingers becomes a really fucking good investment.

[Kyonye]

there is a reason why blood is rushed to your nose. yes, it's trying to keep your nose warm, and for this reason. when you breathe in through your nose, the heat from the inside of your nose warms up the cold air before it gets to your lungs. if your nose is cold, there is no heat to warm up the air. thats why they always things like "wear a scarf when its cold out" because you are trying to keep your neck warm so constant heat is keeping the air, you breathe in, warm. this is the only reason i can think of because when i took my evolution class last semester, she talked about nose differences. Africans have wider noses because they come from a warmer climate, so they can take in more air. the reason people, whose ancestors come from a colder climate, have thinner noses, is to be able to warm up the air before entering your lungs. this is also the reason why black people HATE the cold..i'm sure there are a few exceptions but I haven't met one yet.

hope this answers your question.

[Infernus]

I hate biology...

I always thought it was because cold air chapped your skin.

[Jaged]

there is a reason why blood is rushed to your nose. yes, it's trying to keep your nose warm, and for this reason. when you breathe in through your nose, the heat from the inside of your nose warms up the cold air before it gets to your lungs. if your nose is cold, there is no heat to warm up the air. thats why they always things like "wear a scarf when its cold out" because you are trying to keep your neck warm so constant heat is keeping the air, you breathe in, warm. this is the only reason i can think of because when i took my evolution class last semester, she talked about nose differences. Africans have wider noses because they come from a warmer climate, so they can take in more air. the reason people, whose ancestors come from a colder climate, have thinner noses, is to be able to warm up the air before entering your lungs. this is also the reason why black people HATE the cold..i'm sure there are a few exceptions but I haven't met one yet.

hope this answers your question.


That makes more sence then any post so far. However wouldnt most of the heating of air happen in your nasal passages and tracheia (spelling?) then the flabby piece of flesh outside your body?

[Jaged]

I hate biology...

I always thought it was because cold air chapped your skin.
Anytime youir skin turns red, be it sun burn, a cut, cold temperatures or being chapped it is because blood is rushing to that part of your skin.

edit: double post, sry

[Infernus]

Like I said... Biology blows.

[Jaged]

Like I said... Biology blows.
I love biology. Thats why im trying to figure this out.

Im actualy considering going into the field. Biotechnology in particular is fascinating.

[ZeusCali]

Didn't i say pretty much the same thing?
there is a reason why blood is rushed to your nose. yes, it's trying to keep your nose warm, and for this reason. when you breathe in through your nose, the heat from the inside of your nose warms up the cold air before it gets to your lungs. if your nose is cold, there is no heat to warm up the air. thats why they always things like "wear a scarf when its cold out" because you are trying to keep your neck warm so constant heat is keeping the air, you breathe in, warm. this is the only reason i can think of because when i took my evolution class last semester, she talked about nose differences. Africans have wider noses because they come from a warmer climate, so they can take in more air. the reason people, whose ancestors come from a colder climate, have thinner noses, is to be able to warm up the air before entering your lungs. this is also the reason why black people HATE the cold..i'm sure there are a few exceptions but I haven't met one yet.

hope this answers your question.
i think the body trys to keep the skin warm so that it has a barrier against the cold. But when it becomes very cold it retreats from the skin to the core of the body. Hence the blue in the skin of the blood retreating lol.

Oh wait i just thought of something. Oxygen! your body's way of keep the lungs warm is by having the nose heat it up a little bit before pumping it into the lungs. that's why it's always better to breath through the nose rather then the mouth. SO if the nose got cold then the lungs would get cold. And you'd die.
hmm?

edit;nevermind sorry i realize i wasn't being clear. Well now what are the theories on as to why one's hands burn in extreme cold?

[Jaged]

Didn't i say pretty much the same thing?
Yes, but in a much more convincing way.

[Kyonye]

I didn't really read many of the posts..i read the first one and then posted it...

[GraniteRok]

I would believe your answers are in this thread already.

Your original post refers to the body's natural defence of keeping it's core temperature by diverting blood from the extremeties to your internal organs when it's cold. This is in the event of when it is a life threatening situation like hypothermia. The case of a red nose/ears/fingers/toes when it's cold is because more blood is being diverted to those points in attempt to keep them warm and to avoid frostbite. Your core temperature is stable and it is able to maintain while shunting blood to your extremeties. It'll stop doing this if your core temperature is in danger of dropping.