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SOME TEMPERATURE CHARACTERISTICS IN MAN
1Physiological Laboratory, Clark University, and The Worcester State Hospital, Worcester.
The Journal of General Physiology
|October 30, 2009
Summary
The human heart beat
Area of Science:
- Physiology
- Chronobiology
- Biophysics
Background:
- Temperature influences physiological processes.
- Accurate time perception is crucial for various cognitive functions.
- Previous research linked temperature to time judgment but not explicitly to cardiac rhythm.
Purpose of the Study:
- To investigate the relationship between temperature and human heart rate.
- To compare the thermal dependence of heart rate with that of time perception.
- To elucidate the underlying mechanisms controlling short time interval estimation.
Main Methods:
- Measured human heart rate across a temperature range of approximately 4.7 degrees C.
- Compared the obtained thermal coefficient for heart rate with existing data for time judgments.
- Analyzed evidence to determine the control mechanism for short time interval estimation.
Main Results:
- A thermal coefficient (micro) of 29,400 was determined for the human heart beat.
- This value differs significantly from the 24,000 calories reported for temperature's effect on short duration judgments.
- Findings suggest distinct thermal dependencies for cardiac rhythm and time perception.
Conclusions:
- Human heart rate exhibits a specific thermal dependence.
- The mechanism controlling short time interval estimation appears to be a chemical reaction.
- This chemical master reaction is independent of the pulse rhythm, suggesting separate biological oscillators.
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