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Related Concept Videos

Thermoregulation01:26

Thermoregulation

The human body has a sophisticated thermoregulation system that employs negative feedback mechanisms to maintain an optimal core temperature. When the core temperature drops, peripheral and central thermoreceptors send signals to the hypothalamus, activating the heat-promoting center. This center triggers several responses aimed at increasing the core temperature. First, vasoconstriction reduces the flow of warm blood from internal organs to the skin so that the heat is not lost from the skin,...
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...
Body Temperature01:07

Body Temperature

Body temperature reflects the equilibrium between heat production and heat loss within the body. Most heat is generated by metabolically active tissues, particularly the liver, heart, brain, kidneys, and endocrine organs. At rest, skeletal muscles contribute 20–30% of total heat production, but during vigorous exercise, this can increase up to 30–40 times.
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...
Mechanism of heat transfer01:19

Mechanism of heat transfer

Understanding heat transfer mechanisms is essential for understanding how our bodies maintain balance in different environmental conditions. When the environment is thermoneutral, the body is in a state of balance, neither using nor releasing energy to maintain its core temperature. However, when the environment is not thermoneutral, the body employs four heat transfer mechanisms to maintain homeostasis: conduction, convection, evaporation, and radiation. These mechanisms facilitate heat...
Mechanisms of Heat Transfer01:14

Mechanisms of Heat Transfer

Heat transfer between the human body and its environment occurs through four main mechanisms: conduction, convection, radiation, and evaporation.
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.
Thermosensation01:43

Thermosensation

Peripheral thermosensation is the perception of external temperature. A change in temperature (on the surface of the skin and other tissues) is detected by a family of temperature-sensitive ion channels called Transient Receptor Potential, or TRP, receptors. These receptors are located on free nerve endings. Those detecting cold temperatures are closer to the surface of the skin than the nerve endings detecting warmth. These thermoTRP channels, while temperature selective, have relatively...

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Field-Based Thermal Physiology Assay: Cold Shock Recovery under Ambient Conditions
07:54

Field-Based Thermal Physiology Assay: Cold Shock Recovery under Ambient Conditions

Published on: March 9, 2021

Thermoregulatory defense mechanisms.

Daniel I Sessler1

  • 1Department of Outcomes Research, The Cleveland Clinic, Cleveland, OH, USA. ds@or.org

Critical Care Medicine
|June 19, 2009
PubMed
Summary

The body

Area of Science:

  • Physiology
  • Thermoregulation
  • Pharmacology

Background:

  • Core body temperature is tightly regulated by the thermoregulatory system.
  • Autonomic defenses against cold include vasoconstriction and shivering, which impede therapeutic hypothermia.
  • Pharmacological agents can induce thermal tolerance to aid core cooling.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review the physiological mechanisms of thermoregulation.
  • To discuss the challenges in inducing therapeutic hypothermia.
  • To evaluate pharmacological strategies for enhancing thermal tolerance.

Main Methods:

  • Review of physiological responses to cold.
  • Analysis of drug effects on thermoregulation.
  • Comparison of drug efficacy and toxicity for therapeutic hypothermia.

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Measuring Skeletal Muscle Thermogenesis in Mice and Rats

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Esophageal Heat Transfer for Patient Temperature Control and Targeted Temperature Management
06:43

Esophageal Heat Transfer for Patient Temperature Control and Targeted Temperature Management

Published on: November 21, 2017

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: Jun 22, 2026

Field-Based Thermal Physiology Assay: Cold Shock Recovery under Ambient Conditions
07:54

Field-Based Thermal Physiology Assay: Cold Shock Recovery under Ambient Conditions

Published on: March 9, 2021

Measuring Skeletal Muscle Thermogenesis in Mice and Rats
07:56

Measuring Skeletal Muscle Thermogenesis in Mice and Rats

Published on: July 27, 2022

Esophageal Heat Transfer for Patient Temperature Control and Targeted Temperature Management
06:43

Esophageal Heat Transfer for Patient Temperature Control and Targeted Temperature Management

Published on: November 21, 2017

Main Results:

  • Vasoconstriction and shivering are effective defenses against cold, raising the threshold for therapeutic hypothermia.
  • Anesthetics induce tolerance but are often unsuitable.
  • Meperidine with buspirone and buspirone with dexmedetomidine show effectiveness with manageable side effects.

Conclusions:

  • Therapeutic hypothermia induction is hindered by physiological defenses against cold.
  • Pharmacological interventions can mitigate these defenses.
  • Combinations like meperidine/buspirone and buspirone/dexmedetomidine offer promising strategies for inducing hypothermia with reduced adverse effects.