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Body Temperature

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 Temperature

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...

Thermoregulation

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,...

Homeostatic Imbalances in Body Temperature

Homeostatic Imbalances in Body Temperature

Hyperthermia occurs when the body's temperature becomes unusually high, often due to heat exposure, intense physical activity, or certain illnesses. This condition can create a dangerous cycle where elevated body temperature increases the metabolic rate, generating more heat and potentially leading to organ failure and brain damage. A severe form of hyperthermia, called heat stroke, can raise body temperature to life-threatening levels. Fever, on the other hand, is a controlled form of...

Decreased Body Temperature

Decreased Body Temperature

A decreased body temperature can occur in patients with hypothermia and frostbite. Heat loss with extended cold exposure overpowers the body's ability to create heat, resulting in hypothermia. Core temperature readings help classify hypothermia. Mild hypothermia is temperatures between 32 °C (89.6 °F) and 35°C (95 °F) and is caused by impaired thermoregulation. Moderate hypothermia is temperatures between 28 C (82.4 °F) and 32 °C (89.6 °F) caused by sustained extreme cold exposure, and severe...

Increased Body Temperature

Increased Body Temperature

A body temperature above 38°C (100.4 °F) is known as fever or pyrexia, and a person with fever is termed 'febrile.' Typically, the hypothalamus, a part of the brain that acts as the body's thermostat, regulates body temperature through a thermoregulatory setpoint. It receives signals from cold and warm thermal receptors throughout the body and adjusts the body's temperature accordingly. Fever occurs when this hypothalamic setpoint is altered, usually in response to an infection or illness.

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Related Experiment Video

Updated: May 23, 2026

Measuring Skeletal Muscle Thermogenesis in Mice and Rats

Measuring Skeletal Muscle Thermogenesis in Mice and Rats

Published on: July 27, 2022

Warm body temperature facilitates energy efficient cortical action potentials.

Yuguo Yu¹, Adam P Hill, David A McCormick

¹Department of Neurobiology and Kavli Institute for Neuroscience, Yale University School of Medicine, New Haven, Connecticut, United States of America.

Plos Computational Biology

|April 19, 2012

Summary

Warmer body temperatures significantly boost neural signal transmission energy efficiency by optimizing sodium channel function. This finding reveals how mammalian brains achieve efficient neural coding near normal body temperatures.

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Determining Basal Energy Expenditure and the Capacity of Thermogenic Adipocytes to Expend Energy in Obese Mice

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Last Updated: May 23, 2026

Measuring Skeletal Muscle Thermogenesis in Mice and Rats

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Published on: July 27, 2022

Determining Basal Energy Expenditure and the Capacity of Thermogenic Adipocytes to Expend Energy in Obese Mice

Determining Basal Energy Expenditure and the Capacity of Thermogenic Adipocytes to Expend Energy in Obese Mice

Published on: November 11, 2021

Area of Science:

Neuroscience
Computational Neuroscience
Biophysics

Background:

Neural signal transmission's energy efficiency is crucial for brain architecture and functional brain imaging interpretation.
Mammalian axons exhibit higher energy efficiency in action potential generation compared to invertebrates.

Purpose of the Study:

To investigate the role of body temperature in the energy efficiency of neural signal transmission.
To elucidate the mechanisms underlying temperature-dependent changes in action potential generation and energy cost.

Main Methods:

Analysis of action potential generation in mammalian axons at varying temperatures.
Quantification of ion channel dynamics (Na+ and K+ currents) and action potential characteristics.
Modeling of energy cost based on ion entry and firing rate.

Main Results:

Increased temperature exponentially enhances single action potential energy efficiency by accelerating Na+ channel inactivation.
Action potential duration shortens, reducing overlap between Na+ and K+ currents.
A temperature-dependent decrease in afterhyperpolarization amplitude and duration leads to a nonlinear increase in firing rate above 35°C.
Total energy cost reaches a minimum between 37-42°C.

Conclusions:

Warmer body temperatures, particularly near normal physiological ranges, unexpectedly increase neural signal transmission efficiency.
These findings suggest that mammalian brains leverage temperature for an energy-efficient neural code.
Understanding these mechanisms is vital for interpreting functional brain imaging and understanding brain architecture.