Which mechanism counteracts hypothermia in hibernating mammals entering torpor when ambient temperature drops rapidly?

💡 Explanation

When ambient temperature plummets, hibernating mammals trigger non-shivering thermogenesis in brown fat tissue because uncoupling protein 1 (UCP1) increases mitochondrial membrane permeability to H+, generating heat. Therefore brown fat thermogenesis combats hypothermia, rather than vasodilation, suppressed metabolism or sweating, which would exacerbate cooling.

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