Body Temperature Regulation Mechanisms

This assignment delves into the intricacies of body temperature regulation, discussing how the central nervous system plays a crucial role in conserving or dissipating heat to maintain a normal internal body temperature. It examines the corrective mechanisms that occur when body temperature drops below normal, including muscle activity generating heat and arterioles constricting less blood to reduce heat loss. Additionally, it explores the opposite scenario where body temperature rises above normal, highlighting how temperature receptors in the skin detect changes and send nerve impulses to the brain, prompting relevant responses from dermal blood vessels and sweat glands.

Concept Map

Table of Contents
INTRODUCTION...........................................................................................................................1
DISCUSSION..................................................................................................................................1
CONCEPT MAP.............................................................................................................................4
REFERENCES................................................................................................................................4

INTRODUCTION
Homeostasis is the process of keeping the internal environment of the body constant. Thermoregulation is considered to be
integral process in such case, as it helps in regulating the overall body temperature. The normal body temperature in humans is 37
degrees Celsius, which is required to be maintained in a manner that it does not affect the normal functioning of the body (Flouris and
Schlader, 2015).
Muscular system plays an important role in the body in form of movement supporting in heat production through contractions and
relaxations. It helps in maintaining the body temperature to the ideal one.
Malignant Hyperthermia is considered to be skeletal muscle disorder leading to calcium homeostasis due to certain triggers. The
process will be further discussed in detail in discussion section.
DISCUSSION
Muscular system plays an important role in both heating and cooling activity of the body. Its one of the major characteristics is to
regulate temperature (IJzerman and et.al., 2015). In the heat, the muscles help in excreting sweat from the skin. However, in extreme
cold condition, the muscles make an attempt to warm the body by contracting, which is translated as shivering in layman’s language.
The movement in muscles help in generating heath that can further be used to keep the body warm (Flouris & Schlader, 2015). Heat
production, in order to maintain body temperature, is considered to be an important by product of muscles. Approximately 85% of the
heat, that is produced, is the overall result of contraction and relaxation of muscles (Kiyonaka and Mori, 2013).
Homeostasis generally refers to balance, stability and equilibrium within body or a particular cell. It is characteristics installed in
a body which helps in keeping stable internal environment that requires constant adjustments to be made as per changing dynamics of
inside and outside of cells. Thermoregulation is the process that helps in allowing body to maintain the core internal temperature so
that the body can return to the condition of homeostasis (Romanovsky, 2014). The core temperature of human body is stabilized and
regulated by hypothalamus, which is an area of brain linked to endocrine system to the nervous system. As the temperature varies
from the core, endocrine production tends to initiate control mechanism so that energy production can be increased or decreased as per
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the requirements so as to initiate the body temperature towards normal one (Tansey and Johnson, 2015). There are various factors that
can lead to raise internal temperature in the body are, fever, exercise and digestion. The endocrine system tends to play substantial role
in the process of homeostasis because hormones are responsible for regulating the activities of body cells. A constant increase ort
decreases in the amount of hormone secreted in response to the change helps in dealing with the internal condition of the body
(IJzerman & et.al., 2015). The self-adjusting mechanism is generally called as feedback regulation. There are various pathways that
can lead to bring changes in homeostatic mechanism. These are, toxins, physical health, genetic or reproductive make up and nutrition
(Flouris and Schlader, 2015).
When any change is noticed in the internal temperature, sensors attached to central nervous system sends this message to
hypothalamus. In response to these signals, it sends the signals to various systems and organs of the body. The body tends to reach in
variety of measures, such as, sweating, where sweat glands help in cooling down the skin as and when it evaporates (IJzerman and
et.al., 2015). It helps in lowering down the internal body temperature of the body. Vasodilatation is the other mechanism to control the
internal body temperature, where blood vessels present under the skin gets wider, ultimately increasing the overall blood flow into the
body. It helps in bringing the body temperature to the normal permissible area (Kiyonaka & Mori, 2013). However, in case of
requirement of the body to warm up then, vasoconstriction is one method where, the blood vessels under the skin gets narrower,
decreasing the blood flow of skin, retaining warmth for the overall body (Kiyonaka & Mori, 2013).
Malignant Hyperthermia is the state where severe reactions can take place in the body due to the reaction of particular drug during
surgery or any other type of invasive procedure. People who gets exposed to MH can experience, muscle rigidity, rapid heart rate and
increased acid levels in the blood (Romanovsky, 2014). The triggering agents are, volatile anaesthetics or depolarizing muscle
relaxants. It is required for the health care professionals to take immediate actions that can help in reducing the complications related
to it, otherwise the condition can be life threatening to the patient (Kiyonaka and Mori, 2013).
It can be stated that the below prepared concept map can help in controlling the overall body temperature in the manner that body
can control the same in the most natural manner. In such cases, central nervous system plays an important role where signals can be
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sent to hypothalamus brain and body tend to react in a manner that can bring the internal body temperature under control (Tansey &
Johnson, 2015).
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CONCEPT MAP
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Body Temperature regulation
Normal Body temperature
37 degrees Celsius
Nervous system signals dermal blood vessels to dilate
and sweat glands to secrete
Body heat is lost to its surroundings
Body temperature drops
towards normal
Hypothalamus
Body temp. drops below normal
Nervous system signals dermal blood vessels
to constricts and sweat glands remain inactive
Body heat is conserved
Body temp. rises
towards normal
Muscle activity generates
body heat
If body temperature continues to drop,
nervous system signals muscles to contract
involuntarily
Controlling measures
 Temperature fluctuations due to hot
and cold weather
 Water content
 Carbon dioxide level
 Blood Sugar level
Disease Disruption
Malignant Hyperthermia
trigger
Body temp. rises above normal
Temperature receptors in the skin detect
certain changes and send the same nerve
impulses to the brain. The brain identifies the
same send the nerve impulses to relevant
body parts.
Corrective mechanism
Arterioles in skin constrict less
blood and then less heat to skin. It
results in less activating factors of
sweat glands and less latent heat
lost. Increase in metabolic rates

REFERENCES
Books and Journals
Flouris, A. D. and Schlader, Z. J., 2015. Human behavioral thermoregulation during exercise in the heat. Scandinavian journal of
medicine & science in sports. 25(S1). pp.52-64. https://doi.org/10.1111/sms.12349
IJzerman, H. and et.al., 2015. A theory of social thermoregulation in human primates. Frontiers in psychology, 6, p.464.
https://doi.org/10.3389/fpsyg.2015.00464
Kiyonaka, S. and Mori, Y., 2013. Genetically encoded fluorescent thermosensors visualize subcellular thermoregulation in living
cells. Nature methods.10(12). p.1232. http://dx.doi.org/10.1038/nmeth.2690
Romanovsky, A. A., 2014. Skin temperature: its role in thermoregulation. Acta physiologica, 210(3), pp.498-507.
https://doi.org/10.1111/apha.12231
Tansey, E. A. and Johnson, C. D., 2015. Recent advances in thermoregulation. Advances in physiology education, 39(3), pp.139-148.
http://dx.doi.org/10.1152/advan.00126.2014
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