Related Experiment Video
Updated: Aug 15, 2026

Esophageal Heat Transfer for Patient Temperature Control and Targeted Temperature Management
Published on: November 21, 2017
Abstract:
The human body exchanges heat with its environment via radiation, convection, conduction and evaporation. Each of the heat exchange terms in the heat balance equation S = M-E-(+/- W)-C-R has been described in further detail as related to environmental conditions and to the effect of clothing. Such factors as air velocity, mean radiant temperature, water vapor pressure in the air and thermal insulation and vapor permeability of clothing are factors which are considered. For dynamic conditions, or for conditions requiring consideration of specific areas of the body, the use of a dynamic mathematical model is recommended.
Related Concept Videos
Body Temperature
Mechanism of heat transfer
Factors Affecting Body Temperature
Factors may include:
Requirements for Human Life
Oxygen
Atmospheric air is only about 20 percent oxygen, but that oxygen is a key component of the chemical reactions that keep the body alive, including the reactions that produce ATP. Brain cells are susceptible to a lack of oxygen because they require a...
Body Temperature
The average body temperature is approximately 37°C (98.6°F) and typically ranges from 36.1–37.2°C (97–99°F), remaining relatively stable...
Mechanisms of Heat Transfer
Conduction, accounting for approximately 3% of body heat loss at rest, is the process of exchanging heat between molecules of two materials in direct contact. This can result in both heat loss and gain. For instance, when the body is submerged in water, which conducts heat 20 times more effectively than air, it can either lose or gain significant heat.

