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Catching a Cold: How Cold Affects Your Body’s Defense

In Catching a Cold: How Cold Affects Your Body’s Defense, host Harith Iskander explains how cold temperatures can impact your body’s ability to fight off infections. When you’re cold, the blood vessels constrict, reducing blood flow to certain areas of the body. This process can weaken the immune system, making it easier for viruses, like the common cold, to take hold. This video is excerpted from BBC’s Got Science?, a science magazine series that explores and explains science in everyday life.

Video Details
Grades:
6-8
Program:
Got Science?
Time:
3:07
Subject:
Science
Topic:
Life Science

Lesson Express

Q: How does being cold affect the body's ability to fight infections?
A: Cold temperatures cause blood vessels to constrict, reducing blood flow, which weakens the immune system’s ability to fight off infections.

Q: Why does the body restrict blood flow when it’s cold?
A: The body restricts blood flow to conserve heat and protect vital organs, but this can also limit the immune system's effectiveness.

Q: How can staying warm help prevent someone from getting sick?
A: Staying warm helps maintain good blood circulation, which supports the immune system’s ability to fight off infections, making it less likely that someone will catch a cold.

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