THERMOREGULATION

Jakarta, April 6th 2010

By
Mila Citrawati
 Thermoregulation
 Human bodies have anatomical and
physiological mechanisms that keep body
temperatures within acceptable limits,
regardless of environmental conditions
(homeothermic)
 Body temperature determines the rate of
many bodily activities
 A stable body temperature is the result of
heat loss and heat gain mechanism
 Normal Body Temperature

 36,1 – 37,8 ºC normal value  crucial

for the optimal performance of enzymatic
and regulatory activities
 A rise of only 1ºC increases the rate of
chemical reaction by 10%
 At rest liver, heart, brain, endocrine
glands [>>heat generation], skeletal
muscle [only 20-30%]
 Various parts of the body are at different
temperatures and varies with the
environmental temperature
 Rectal ~ core temperature, oral  0,5°C
lower
 Core temperature undergoes regular
circadian fluctuation of 0,5-0,7°C
 Women temperature variation
characterized by rise in basal temperature
at the time of ovulation
 Mechanisms of Heat Transfer
 Radiation : transfer heat by infrared waves
from a warmer object to a colder one
without the object being in contact [60%]
 Conduction : transfer heat from a warmer
object to a colder one in physical contact
with it [3%]
 Convection : transfer heat by way of the
movement of liquid or gas to a colder area
[15%]
 Heat Loss
 When the temperature at the preoptic
nucleus exceeds its thermostat setting,
heat-loss center is stimulated, while
heat-gain center is inhibited  reflex
responses are controlled from anterior
hypothalamus
1. Inhibition of vasomotor center 
vasodilatation peripheral blood vessels
 skin becomes reddish  skin
temperature increase  radiation and
convection rate increase
2. Sweat gland stimulated  perspiration
flows across the body surface 
evaporation rate increase
3. Respiration centers are stimulated 
depth of respiration increase 
evaporation rate increase
 Summary
 Body heat lost by : Radiation and
conduction (70%), vaporization of sweat
(27%), respiration (2%), urination and
defecation (1%)
 Mechanisms activated by heat : Increase
heat loss (cutaneous vasodilation,
sweating, increased respiration) and
decrease heat production (anorexia,
apathy, and inertia)
 Behavioral Mechanism to Loose
Heat
for shady spot  radiative gain
 Looking
decrease

 Lie
down to cool grass, slide into pool, etc
conductive losses increase
 Heat Gain
 When temperature at preoptic nucleus
drops below acceptable levels, heat-gain
center is stimulated while heat-loss center
is inhibited  reflex responses are
controlled from posterior hypothalamus
 Two mechanisms to gain heat :
- heat conservation
- heat generation
 Heat Conservation
 Sympathetic vasomotor center decreases
blood flow to the dermis of the skin by
vasoconstriction of peripheral blood
vessels reducing radiational, convective,
and conductive losses the skin cools ,
bluish or pale coloration. This does not
damage epithelial cells as they are able to
tolerate extended periods at temperatures
as low as 25ºC or as high as 49ºC
 Countercurrent exchange;
when cutaneous blood vessels are cooled,
they become more sensitive to
catecholamine and the arterioles and
venules constrict  directs blood away
from the skin and into the venae
comitantes, deep veins that run alongside
the arteries  heat is transferred from the
arterial to the venous blood and carried
back into the body without reaching the
skin
 Contraction of errector pili muscle.
Piloerection causing the hairs to stand
erect so convection is blocked, and
conduction through air is very slow
 Heat Generation
 Shivering thermogenesis: heat-gain center
activation  stimulation of brain areas
controlling muscle tone muscle tone
increase  stretch reflexes in antagonistic
muscle increase  shivering  heat
production increase [shivering increases
the rate of heat generation by as much as
400%]
 Heat-gain center stimulates the adrenal
medulla via sympathetic division of the
ANS and epinephrine is released 
cellular metabolism [glycogenolysis in liver
& skeletal muscle] and the rate of aerobic
respiration increase
 Preoptic area directs the activity of thyroid
gland  thyrotropic hormone releasing
factor increase  thyrotropic hormone
release increase  thyroxine increase 
cellular metabolism increase  heat
production increase
 Behavioral Modifications
 Get into the sun [radiational heating]
 Lie on warm sand [conduction heating]
 Wearing sweater, gloves, jacket [reduce
radiational surface area and increase
insulating]
 Doing strenuous activity
 Summary
 Body heat is produced by : Basic
metabolic processes, food intake,
muscular activity
 Mechanisms activated by cold : Increase
heat production (shivering, hunger,
increased voluntary activity, increased
secretion of norepinephrine and
epinephrine) and decrease heat loss
(cutaneous vasoconstriction, curling up,
horripilation)
Normal and Abnormal Variations in
Body Temperature
 Normal range [oral]  36-38ºC  systems
normal
 Disease-related fever, severe exercise, active
children 38-41ºC  disorientation
 CNS damage, heat stroke  >41ºC  cell
damage, convulsion, tissue damage, death
 Early morning in cold weather, severe exposure
of cold  36-32ºC  disorientation
 Hypothermia for open heart surgery  32-23ºC
 loss of consciousness, cardiac arrest, skin
turn to blue, death
Which mechanism of heat

transfer am I doing right

now, guys?