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Homeostasis
The maintenance of a stable but dynamic physiological state by auto-regulatory processes of the body.
Internal environment
The fluid-filled environment in which most cells of large animals are bathed, providing a relatively stable environment for the cells.
Homeostatic control systems
Mechanisms in the body that maintain homeostasis by detecting and correcting deviations from the norm set point.
Blood glucose
The level of glucose in the blood, which must be kept constant for optimal functioning of the body.
Insulin and glucagon
Hormones that play a role in the maintenance of blood glucose homeostasis.
Temperature sensitivity
The fact that physiological processes in the body are sensitive to changes in temperature.
Ectothermic animals
Animals that rely on external sources of heat to regulate their body temperature.
Endothermic animals
Animals that generate heat mainly within their bodies to maintain a constant body temperature.
Thermoneutral zone
The range of environmental temperatures within which the metabolic rate of an endothermic animal is low and independent of temperature.
Basal metabolic rate (BMR)
The metabolic rate of a resting animal in the thermoneutral zone.
Heat exchange
The processes of convection, radiation, evaporation, and conduction through which heat is exchanged between an organism and its environment.
Lower critical temperature
The environmental temperature below which an animal must increase its metabolic rate to compensate for heat loss.
Upper critical temperature
The environmental temperature above which an animal must expend energy to lose heat and prevent overheating.
Behavioral responses
Behaviors exhibited by animals outside the thermoneutral zone to either warm up or cool down, such as seeking shelter or wallowing in water.
Thermoneutral zone
The range of environmental temperatures in which the body does not have to expend energy to maintain its core temperature.
Vasoconstriction
The narrowing of blood vessels, reducing blood flow to the skin surface.
Vasodilation
The widening of blood vessels, increasing blood flow to the skin surface.
Sweat glands
Glands in the skin that secrete sweat, which evaporates and cools the body.
Hypothalamus
The part of the brain that regulates body temperature and activates cooling or warming mechanisms.
Negative feedback
A mechanism in which the body responds to a stimulus by reversing or reducing its effects.
Homeostasis
The maintenance of a stable internal environment within the body.
Somatic nervous system
The part of the nervous system responsible for voluntary actions, such as shivering.
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