Thermoregulation

What is thermoregulation?

The body's ability to balance between heat gain and heat loss- maintaining stable temp of 36 to 37.5°C

What are the mechanisms that maintain the body temperature?

Neural and vascular control

Heat production

Heat loss

Behavioural control

Explain the neural and vascular control mechanism

The hypothalamus has thermoreceptors that monitor the body's internal or core temperature and received info about peripheral temp from thermoreceptors in skin.

It is the body's thermostat and controls the initial temp and signals to rest of bidy when core temp deviates from set point

How does the hypothalamus respond when the core body temperature is too high?

Initiates mechanisms like:

• Sweating

• Vasodilation (dilation of blood vessels)

to result in heat loss

How does the hypothalamus respond when the core body temperature is too low?

Initiates mechanisms like:

• Shivering to generate heat

• Vasoconstriction in the skin to prevent heat loss

Explain the mechanism of heat production.

It is the result of internal metabolic process that produce heat as a byproduct

How does heat production occur in neonates?

Can occur without muscle activity- non-shivering thermogenesis because have higher percentage of brown fat which is more effective than generating heat

Explain the mechanism of heat loss and the ways it can occur

Radiation

Convection

Conduction

Evaporation

What is the main way body heat is lost?

Radiation

What is radiation?

Emission of body heat and transfer of heat to another object without touching

Heat is carried by blood to peripheral vessels close to the skin where it leaves via radiation.

Peripheral vessels dilate= more blood flow

Peripheral vessels constrict= less blood flow

What is conduction?

Transfer of body heat to another object by touching it

What is convection?

Losing heat when air or water movement carries heat away

What is evaporation?

Losing heat by converting fluid into gas