Thermo Regulation

INTERGUMENTARY SYSTEM
NAFISATU COLLAGE OF
(THERMOREGULATION)
LECTURE TWO
NURSING SCIENCE BY
MALAN FARUK MAITAMA

B.SC, PGDE, M.SC (INVIEW)
BODY TEMPERATURE
* Body temperature is a measure of the body’s ability to generate and get rid of heat.
* Mammals to some extent regulate their body temperature.
* Homeothermic organisms maintain a relatively constant body temperature regardless

of environmental conditions.
* Poikilothermic organisms alter their body temperature to suit environmental

conditions.
Normal body temperature – This in humans is 37°C (98.6°F), when measured by placing
the clinical thermometer in the mouth (oral temperature). It varies between 35.8°C and
37.3°C (96.4°F and 99.1°F).
BODY TEMPERATURE
Axillary Temperature - This is 0.3°C to 0.6°C (0.5°F to 1°F) lower than the
oral temperature. The rectal temperature is 0.3°C to 0.6°C (0.5°F to 1°F)
higher than oral temperature.
Superficial Temperature (skin or surface temperature) - It varies between

29.5°C and 33.9°C (85.1°F and 93°F).
Core Temperature - This is the average temperature of structures present

in deeper part of the body. The core temperature is always more than oral
or rectal temperature. It is about 37.8°C (100°F).
VARIATIONS IN BODY TEMPERATURE UNDER
NORMAL PHYSIOLOGICAL CONDITIONS
* Temperature is slightly higher in infants than adults.
* It is also higher in males than females due to lower basal metabolic rate.
* Slightly lower in morning hours of the day.
* Temperature increases during exercise due to heat production from muscles.

* It also increases (about 0.5oC) at time of ovulation in females, and falls
during menstruation.
* Decreases during sleep.

SKIN TEMPERATURE AT DIFFERENT BODY
SITES ( 0C)
THERMOREGULATION
WHY DO WE NEED TO REGULATE BODY
TEMPERATURE?
Processes or activities that take place in the human body are dependent
mostly on actions of enzymes. These enzymes have a maximum
temperature of activity above which they become denatured, and a
minimum temperature of activity below which they become ineffective.
Thermoregulation or maintenance of a relatively constant body temperature is the ability of an
organism to keep its body temperature within certain homeostatic boundaries, even when the
temperature of the surrounding is very different. Apart from the hypodermis, which binds the
skin to the underlying tissues, pads, serves as an energy reservoir, and provides thermal
insulation, the dermis contains naked nerve endings called thermoreceptors, some of which
respond when the skin temperature rises above normal and others when it falls below normal.
GENERAL PATTERN OF THERMOREGULATION
IN HUMANS
Homeostasis or the maintenance of stable internal conditions within

specific limits is a characteristic of all living systems. In many cases,
stable conditions are maintained by negative feedback. Thermoregulation
is achieved through several negative feedback loops. The mechanism of
switching on/off the warming/cooling systems when the body reaches the
correct temperature is called negative feedback.
In negative feedback, a sensing mechanism (a receptor – skin thermoreceptors) detects a change
in conditions beyond specific limits. A control center, or integrator (often the brain), evaluates the
change and activates a second mechanism (an effector) to correct the condition. Conditions are
constantly monitored by receptors and evaluated by the control center. When the control center
(hypothalamic thermostat) determines that conditions have returned to normal, corrective action
is discontinued. Thus, in negative feedback, the variant condition (over-cooling or over-heating) is
cancelled, or negated, so that conditions are returned to normal.
Hypothalamic Thermostat – Precise mapping studies have localized the site of greatest
thermoregulatory control in an area of the brain known as the pre-optic/anterior hypothalamus
(POAH). It is located anterior to the optic chiasm and has a nucleus called the ‘hypothalamic
thermostat’. Nerve cells, which respond to both heating (heat-sensitive neurons) and cooling
(cold-sensitive neurons), are present in this region. The hypothalamic thermostat monitors the
temperature of the blood, mucous membranes, and receives signals also from peripheral thermo-
receptors in the skin, as well from the hypothalamus itself. The hypothalamic thermostat, in turn
sends appropriate signals to the heat-loosing center, a nucleus still further anterior in the
hypothalamus OR the heat-promoting center, a more posterior nucleus.
The mammalian body has an organized mechanism for controlling the rise or fall in temperature
through switching on/off the warming/cooling systems. The mechanism of is called negative feedback
in which chemical, physical, as well as behavioural approaches are involved.
When body temperature rises above some theoretical «set point», the heat-loosing center senses
that blood temperature is too high, effector responses associated with cooling are turned on
(activation of heat-loosing mechanisms):
When on the other hand the body temperature falls below some theoretical «set point», the heat-
promoting center senses that blood temperature is too low, and effector responses associated with
heating (warming) are turned on (activation of heat-promoting mechanisms).
MECHANISMS OF HEAT PROMOTION BY POSTERIOR
HYPOTHALAMIC NUCLEUS WHEN BODY
TEMPERATURE IS TOO LOW
Inhibition of cold-promoting System – This is achieved so that body

temperature remains normal.
Vasoconstriction – This is achieved by the autonomic nervous

stimulation through which blood reaching the skin and peripheral tissues
is decreased; warm blood is then retained deeper in the body and less
heat is lost through the skin; the sympathecus in other mammals also
stimulates the erector pilli muscles, which make the hair stand on end.
This traps an insulating blanket of still air near the skin.
Hormonal Response – The hypothalamus increases the secretion of thyrotropin hormone from
posterior pituitary; this in turn increases TSH levels and increase in the secretion of T3 and T4 by
thyroid gland ; these in turn increase the metabolic rate thereby enhancing heat production. If
dermal vasoconstriction can not restore or maintain normal core temperature, the body resorts
to:
1. Shivering thermogenesis;
2. Non-shivering thermogenesis;
3. Behavioural thermogenesis.
1. Shivering Thermogenesis - This is a short-term mechanism for heat generation; every muscle
contraction releases heat from ATP, and shivering can increase body’s heat production as much as four-
fold.
2. Non-shivering thermogenesis - This is a more long-term mechanism for generating heat, used
especially in the colder seasons of the year. The SNS and thyroid hormone stimulate an increase in
metabolic rate, which can rise as much as 30% after several weeks of cold weather. More nutrients are
burnt as fuel.
Infants can generate heat by breaking down brown fat, a tissue that has numerous specialized
mitochondria that has the unique ability of carrying out uncoupled oxidative phosphorylation in which
lipolysis is not linked to ATP synthesis and so, all the fat is in the form of heat.
3. Behavioural Thermogenesis - The ability of an organism to preserve heat mainly involves
behavioural strategies such as observed in humans and rodents.
i. Increased Locomotor Activity – One of the most efficient mechanism of body heat production is
muscular work; it responds to mild cold. Though it contributes a large amount of body heat, muscular
work is very costly and needs to constantly be fuelled with high level of energy intake.
ii. Increased Energy Intake – To satisfy increased energy needs and maintain posture energy balance
during cold exposure, humans and animals need to adapt their food intake behaviour; in response to
cold exposure, catabolic mechanisms are enhanced thus, promoting energy intake and expenditure
iii. Specific Postures - Behavioural adjustment in body posture provides efficient mechanisms of
minimizing heat loss:
a. Ball-like posture – Mammals use this energy-conserving posture; it reduces surface-to-volume ratio
to minimize contact surface with air and thus, reduces the area of heat dissipation.
ii. Grouping Strategies:
a. Huddling – This consists of the aggregation of numerous individuals to limit energy dissipation,
which decreases the energy needs for body heat production.
MECHANISMS OF HEAT PROMOTION BY POSTERIOR
HYPOTHALAMIC NUCLEUS WHEN BODY
TEMPERATURE IS HIGH
When the heat-loosing center senses that blood temperature is too high, it activates heat-loosing
mechanisms:
*Cutaneous vasodilation – this increases blood flow close to the body normal temperature;
*Triggering of sweating;
*Inhibition of heat-promoting center.
Cutaneous (Skin) Vasodilatation - This often results in small increases in dry (radiated and convective)
heat loss; it functions primarily to transfer heat from the core to the skin (internal heat transfer).
Triggering of sweating - Evaporation of sweat provides an extremely effective means of cooling the
blood prior to its return to deep body tissues (external heat transfer). Thermoregulatory sweat in
humans is secreted from 2 to 4 million eccrine sweat glands scattered non-uniformly over the body
surface. Unlike apocrine sweat glands, which tend to be clustered (on the face and hands and in the
axial and genital regions) and which secrete sweat into hair follicles, eccrine glands secrete sweat
directly onto the skin surface. This sweat is odourless, colourless and relatively dilute, since it is an
ultra-filtrate of plasma. Thus it has a high latent heat of vaporization and is ideally suited for its cooling
purpose

Thermo Regulation

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

Thermo Regulation

Uploaded by

Document Information

Copyright

Available Formats

Share this document

Share or Embed Document

Sharing Options

Did you find this document useful?

Is this content inappropriate?

Copyright:

Available Formats

Thermo Regulation

Uploaded by

Copyright:

Available Formats

INTERGUMENTARY SYSTEM

MALAN FARUK MAITAMA

* Mammals to some extent regulate their body temperature.

* Homeothermic organisms maintain a relatively constant body temperature regardless

* Poikilothermic organisms alter their body temperature to suit environmental

Superficial Temperature (skin or surface temperature) - It varies between

Core Temperature - This is the average temperature of structures present

* Temperature is slightly higher in infants than adults.

* Slightly lower in morning hours of the day.

* Temperature increases during exercise due to heat production from muscles.

* Decreases during sleep.

Homeostasis or the maintenance of stable internal conditions within

Inhibition of cold-promoting System – This is achieved so that body

Vasoconstriction – This is achieved by the autonomic nervous

*Inhibition of heat-promoting center.

You might also like