Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Concept Videos

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...
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...
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,...
Factors Influencing Microbial Growth: Temperature01:27

Factors Influencing Microbial Growth: Temperature

Microorganisms display remarkable adaptations, enabling them to thrive in diverse ecological niches across a wide range of temperatures. Temperature profoundly influences microbial growth by affecting enzymatic activity, membrane fluidity, and other cellular processes.Each microorganism operates within a specific temperature range defined by three cardinal points: minimum, optimum, and maximum. Below the minimum temperature, membranes lose fluidity, halting transport processes. Above the...
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...
Requirements for Human Life01:26

Requirements for Human Life

The Earth and its atmosphere have provided humans with air, water, and food, but these are not the only requirements for survival. Humans also require a specific range of temperature and pressure that the Earth and its atmosphere provides.
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...

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Choice of cold weather combat clothing affects manual performance, body temperatures and comfort in a sub-Arctic climate.

International journal of occupational safety and ergonomics : JOSE·2026
Same author

Individual baseline differences outweigh personal traits in short-term heat acclimation adaptations.

Ergonomics·2026
Same author

Exposure to heat at work: development of a quantitative European job exposure matrix (heat JEM).

Scandinavian journal of work, environment & health·2025
Same author

Impact of a ventilated vest on cardiac recovery and thermal perception of soldiers during an intermittent activity in a warm environment.

International journal of biometeorology·2025
Same author

Cold weather operations: Preventive strategies in a military context.

Temperature (Austin, Tex.)·2025
Same author

Validating an advanced smartphone application for thermal advising in cold environments.

International journal of biometeorology·2023

Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 26, 2026

Measuring Skeletal Muscle Thermogenesis in Mice and Rats
07:56

Measuring Skeletal Muscle Thermogenesis in Mice and Rats

Published on: July 27, 2022

The thermoneutral zone: implications for metabolic studies.

Boris Kingma1, Arjan Frijns, Wouter van Marken Lichtenbelt

  • 1Department of Human Biology, NUTRIM School for Nutrition, Toxicology and Metabolism of Maastricht University Medical Center, Maastricht, The Netherland. B.Kingma@maastrichtuniversity.nl

Frontiers in Bioscience (Elite Edition)
|December 29, 2011
PubMed
Summary
This summary is machine-generated.

Understanding the human thermoneutral zone (TNZ) is crucial for physiological studies. This review explores factors influencing the TNZ and proposes skin blood flow as an objective measure for its determination.

More Related Videos

Using a Combination of Indirect Calorimetry, Infrared Thermography, and Blood Glucose Levels to Measure Brown Adipose Tissue Thermogenesis in Humans
04:54

Using a Combination of Indirect Calorimetry, Infrared Thermography, and Blood Glucose Levels to Measure Brown Adipose Tissue Thermogenesis in Humans

Published on: June 2, 2023

Body Composition and Metabolic Caging Analysis in High Fat Fed Mice
10:28

Body Composition and Metabolic Caging Analysis in High Fat Fed Mice

Published on: May 24, 2018

Related Experiment Videos

Last Updated: May 26, 2026

Measuring Skeletal Muscle Thermogenesis in Mice and Rats
07:56

Measuring Skeletal Muscle Thermogenesis in Mice and Rats

Published on: July 27, 2022

Using a Combination of Indirect Calorimetry, Infrared Thermography, and Blood Glucose Levels to Measure Brown Adipose Tissue Thermogenesis in Humans
04:54

Using a Combination of Indirect Calorimetry, Infrared Thermography, and Blood Glucose Levels to Measure Brown Adipose Tissue Thermogenesis in Humans

Published on: June 2, 2023

Body Composition and Metabolic Caging Analysis in High Fat Fed Mice
10:28

Body Composition and Metabolic Caging Analysis in High Fat Fed Mice

Published on: May 24, 2018

Area of Science:

  • Human physiology
  • Environmental health

Background:

  • A thermoneutral environment is essential for accurate human physiological research.
  • The thermoneutral zone (TNZ) represents a temperature range where metabolic heat production and evaporative heat loss are minimal.
  • Factors like body composition, clothing, age, and gender significantly influence an individual's TNZ.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review how internal and external factors affect the human TNZ.
  • To explore the use of skin blood flow characteristics as an objective criterion for TNZ assessment.
  • To discuss the implications of TNZ on metabolic studies and identify future research directions, particularly for vulnerable populations.

Main Methods:

  • Literature review synthesizing historical and recent findings on the human TNZ.
  • Analysis of physiological factors influencing thermoregulation.
  • Exploration of skin blood flow as a biomarker for thermoneutrality.

Main Results:

  • The TNZ is highly variable and influenced by numerous individual and environmental factors.
  • Skin blood flow patterns show potential as a reliable, objective indicator of an individual's position within their TNZ.
  • Variations in TNZ can introduce bias in metabolic and other physiological studies.

Conclusions:

  • Accurate determination of the TNZ is critical for reducing bias in human physiological research.
  • Skin blood flow offers a promising objective method for assessing an individual's thermoneutral state.
  • Further research is needed to refine TNZ understanding, especially for the elderly and obese populations.