Measurement of temperature-dependent specific heat of biological tissues

Dieter Haemmerich1, David J Schutt, Icaro dos Santos

  • 1Division of Pediatric Cardiology, Medical University of South Carolina, Charleston, SC 29425, USA.

Related Concept Videos

Quantifying Heat02:46

Quantifying Heat

Thermal Energy Microscopically, thermal energy is the kinetic energy associated with the random motion of atoms and molecules. Temperature is a quantitative measure of “hot” or “cold”, which depends on the amount of thermal energy. When the atoms and molecules in an object are moving or vibrating quickly, they have a higher average kinetic energy (KE) (or higher thermal energy), and the object is perceived as “hot”, or it is described as being at a higher temperature. When the atoms and...
Body Temperature01:25

Body Temperature

The body's temperature, measured in degrees, is determined by the balance between heat production and dissipation to the surrounding environment. For instance, if exercising vigorously, the body will produce more heat, causing sweat and dissipating that heat. Despite extreme environmental conditions and physical exertion, the human temperature-control system maintains a constant core body temperature (the temperature of deep tissues, which are the tissues located beneath the skin and other...
Calorimetry01:19

Calorimetry

When objects at different temperatures are placed in contact with each other but isolated from everything else, they attain thermal equilibrium. A container that prevents heat transfer in or out is called a calorimeter, and the use of a calorimeter to make measurements is called calorimetry. Generally, these measurements involve heat or specific heat capacity. The term "calorimetry problem" is used for any problem where the specified objects are thermally isolated from their surroundings. An...
Temperature Measurement Sites01:14

Temperature Measurement Sites

A thermometer measures body temperature. The common sites for measuring body temperature are the oral cavity, axillary region, temporal artery, and skin surface, such as the forehead, abdomen, and axilla. True core body temperature is assessed in the rectum, tympanic membrane, pulmonary artery, esophagus, and urinary bladder.
Oral: When assessing oral temperature, the thermometer tip should be placed under the tongue in the posterior sublingual pocket. It offers accurate readings and can be...
Heat Capacities of an Ideal Gas I01:14

Heat Capacities of an Ideal Gas I

Heat capacity is the ratio of heat absorbed by the substance corresponding to its temperature change. It is also called thermal capacity and the SI unit of heat capacity is J/K. Whereas, specific heat capacity is defined as the amount of heat necessary to change the temperature of 1 kg of a substance by 1 K and is also called massic heat capacity. Its SI unit is J/kg⋅K.
Molar heat capacity quantifies the ratio of the amount of heat added (or removed) to increase (or decrease) the temperature of...
Equipments Used to Measure Body Temperature01:13

Equipments Used to Measure Body Temperature

Body temperature can be assessed using various devices and measured in Celsius or Fahrenheit.
Glass-bulb Thermometer:
Glass-bulb thermometers are hollow glass tubes with a bulb tip containing liquid such as ethanol or mercury. Historically, glass bulb mercury thermometers were the standard device to measure body temperature. Today, mercury thermometers are prohibited in many countries due to the hazardous effects of mercury and the risk of exposure if the glass bulb breaks. In general,...