The Nervous System and Temperature Regulation

A set of vocabulary flashcards based on the lecture about the nervous system's role in homeostatic temperature regulation.

Homeostasis

A self-regulating process that keeps the body's internal environment stable.

Normal Body Temperature

The standard internal temperature for the human body, which is approximately $37^{\circ}C$ or $98.6^{\circ}F$.

Hypothalamus

A small but powerful region located deep inside the brain, below the thalamus, that acts as the body's thermostat to control temperature.

Thermoreceptors

Sensors located in the skin and organs that detect temperature signals and send them to the hypothalamus.

Effectors

Components such as sweat glands, muscles, and blood vessels that receive signals from the hypothalamus to adjust the body's temperature.

Sweating

A cooling response where glands release sweat onto the skin to evaporate and remove heat from the body.

Vasodilation

A cooling response where blood vessels near the skin widen, allowing more blood to flow near the surface to release heat into the environment.

Shivering

A heating response where muscles contract and relax rapidly to produce heat and warm the body.

Vasoconstriction

A heating response where blood vessels narrow to reduce blood flow near the skin, thereby conserving body heat internally.

Temperature Regulation Flow

The process consisting of Detection (thermoreceptors), Processing (hypothalamus), and Response (sweating, shivering, etc.) to restore homeostasis.

Protein Denaturation

The process where proteins lose their structure due to extreme temperatures, making it impossible for cells to survive.