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[1]For example, one of the most common reactions to hot temperatures is heat exhaustion, which is an illness that could happen if one is exposed to high temperatures, resulting in some symptoms such as dizziness, fainting, or a rapid heartbeat. [2][3]
The physiological control of the body’s core temperature takes place primarily through the hypothalamus, which assumes the role as the body’s “thermostat.” [4] This organ possesses control mechanisms as well as key temperature sensors, which are connected to nerve cells called thermoreceptors.[5] Thermoreceptors come in two subcategories; ones that respond to cold temperatures and ones that respond to warm temperatures. Scattered throughout the body in both peripheral and central nervous systems, these nerve cells are sensitive to changes in temperature and are able to provide useful information to the hypothalamus through the process of negative feedback, thus maintaining a constant core temperature.[6] [7]
Hypothermia is a medical condition that results when the homeostatic control mechanisms of heat within your body malfunction, causing your body to lose heat faster than it produces. Normal body temperature is around 98.6 F (37 C), and hypothermia sets in when your core body temperature gets lower than 95 F (35 C). [8] Usually caused by prolonged exposure to cold temperatures, hypothermia is usually treated by methods that attempt to raise the body temperature back to a normal range. [9]
When it's cold out, endotherms increase metabolic heat production to keep their body temperature constant, thus making the internal body temperature of an endotherm more or less independent of the temperature of the environment.[10] One metabolic activity, in terms of generating heat, that endotherms are able to do is that they possess a larger number of mitochondria per cell than ectotherms, enabling them to generate more heat by increasing the rate at which they metabolize fats and sugars.[11]
Ectotherms are the opposite of endotherms when it comes to regulating internal temperatures. In ectotherms, the internal physiological sources of heat are of negligible importance; the biggest factor that enables them to maintain adequate body temperatures is due to environmental influences. Living in areas that maintain a constant temperature throughout the year, like the tropics or the ocean, have enabled ectotherms to develop a wide range of behavioral mechanisms that enable them to respond to external temperatures, such as sun-bathing to increase body temperature, or seeking the cover of shade to lower body temperature. [12] [13]
- ^ "Eicosanoids". www.rpi.edu. Retrieved 2017-02-08.
- ^ "Heat Exhaustion: Symptoms and Treatment". WebMD. Retrieved 2017-03-01.
- ^ Harmon, Katherine. "How Does a Heat Wave Affect the Human Body?". Scientific American. Retrieved 2017-03-01.
- ^ "Thermoregulation". www.unm.edu. Retrieved 2017-03-01.
- ^ Boundless (2016-05-26). "Thermoreception". Boundless.
- ^ Tansey, Etain A.; Johnson, Christopher D. (2015-09-01). "Recent advances in thermoregulation". Advances in Physiology Education. 39 (3): 139–148. doi:10.1152/advan.00126.2014. ISSN 1043-4046. PMID 26330029.
- ^ "Temperature Regulation of the Human Body". hyperphysics.phy-astr.gsu.edu. Retrieved 2017-03-01.
- ^ "Hypothermia - Mayo Clinic". Mayo Clinic. Retrieved 2017-03-22.
- ^ "Hypothermia: Causes, Symptoms, and Treatment". WebMD. Retrieved 2017-03-22.
- ^ "Khan Academy". Khan Academy. Retrieved 2017-03-22.
- ^ Boundless (2016-09-20). "Homeostasis: Thermoregulation". Boundless.
- ^ Boundless (2016-09-20). "Homeostasis: Thermoregulation". Boundless.
- ^ "Khan Academy". Khan Academy. Retrieved 2017-03-22.