Thermoregulation Maintains a Stable Body Temperature
- Imagine stepping into a freezing room.
- Almost immediately, your body starts to shiver, and you feel goosebumps on your skin.
- These are not just random reactions, they are part of a sophisticated system called thermoregulation, which keeps your body temperature stable despite external changes.
What is Thermoregulation?
Definition
Thermoregulation
Thermoregulation is the process by which organisms maintain their core body temperature within a narrow range, typically around 37°C in humans.
- This stability is crucial because many biological processes, such as enzyme activity, are highly sensitive to temperature changes.
Recall that negative feedback is a control mechanism that counteracts deviations from a set point, restoring balance.
How Does Negative Feedback Work in Thermoregulation?
- Negative feedback is the mechanism that controls thermoregulation by counteracting deviations from the set point.
- This involves three main components:
- Sensors: Detect changes in body temperature.
- Integrating Center: Processes the information and decides on a response.
- Effectors: Carry out actions to restore the set point.
- Peripheral thermoreceptors help anticipate changes by sensing the environment.
- On the other hand, central thermoreceptors ensure the core temperature remains stable.
The Hypothalamus Is The Body's Thermostat
- The hypothalamus is a small but critical part of the brain that acts as the integrating center for thermoregulation.
- It receives input from thermoreceptors and initiates appropriate responses to maintain the set point.
How the Hypothalamus Regulates Temperature
- When the hypothalamus detects a deviation from the set point:
