What Is Known As the Human Thermostat?
The human thermostat or hypothalamus regulates the body temperature in humans. Body temperature is an important factor in human survival. Five degrees lower than the body's optimum temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit and you will die from hypothermia. Similarly, if your core body temperature rises too high, above 108 degrees, you are likely to die from hyperthermia.
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Definition
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The hypothalamus is located at the base of the brain slightly above the pituitary gland. The hypothalamus is responsible for maintaining body temperature.The hypothalamus does this by reacting to external conditions. For example, if the body temperature falls too low a signal is sent from the hypothalamus to the cutaneous arteries (these supply blood to the skin) to constrict to hold in heat. If the body is still too cold it will send a signal for the body to start shivering.
Homeostasis
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The human body functions within quite narrow parameters in body temperature. The environment we live in may have extremes of temperature, but the body has to maintain what is called homeostasis. Homeostasis basically means staying the same. The body works very hard to maintain a position of stasis wherever we are and whatever we are doing. Body temperature is maintained carefully by the hypothalamus, and generally the fluctuation in our body temperature during the course of the day is rarely more than one degree from the optimum temperature of 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit.
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Metabolic Activity
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A factor that affects body temperature is metabolic activity. Heat is generated by metabolic activity, and usually around 80 percent of the heat created is ejected by the body to maintain a stable temperature. The rate of the metabolism is affected by the amount of exercise you do; the more you do the higher your metabolic rate, which means less energy is used to perform processes that are essential to growth, tissue renewal and the general operation of your body.
Stabilizing Body Temperature
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The body stabilizes body temperature in four ways: radiation, convection, conduction and evaporative exchange. Radiation is a method of producing heat energy via electromagnetic waves. It is produced by two objects that are at different temperatures. For example, we gain heat from the sun's rays, and we also emit heat from our body onto other objects around us. Convection again has to do with the amount of heat two objects that are close to each other produce; if the body is exposed to a cold wind, then the body's response is to move blood away from the extremities to keep the core body temperature stable. Conduction is the heat from a warmer object to a cooler one if they are in direct contact. If you lie on a cool rock the warm heat from your body is transferred to the rock and in turn your body cools down. Lastly, evaporative exchange has to do with sweating; we lose water when we become hot. Evaporation of water is happening constantly from the lungs and respiratory passages.
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References
- Survival Topics: How Body Heat is Lost
- Biology Reference: Homeostasis - Biology Encylopedia
- Medical Health Tests: Average Body Temperature - Normal Body Temperature, High Body Temperature, Low Body Temperature
- Island Net: A Simple Guide To Personal Thermal Comfort
- Immortal Humans: Lower Body Temperature Can Enhance Longevity
- Photo Credit temperature image by Edsweb from Fotolia.com
