Search results
Results from the WOW.Com Content Network
So, when the surrounding temperature is higher than the skin temperature, anything that prevents adequate evaporation will cause the internal body temperature to rise. [4] During sports activities, evaporation becomes the main avenue of heat loss. [5] Humidity affects thermoregulation by limiting sweat evaporation and thus heat loss. [6]
When the body temperature is too high or too low, the blood vessels will change size accordingly to bring the body’s temperature back to normal. In this diagram, the tube-shaped objects represent blood vessels and the red and blue objects represent thermometers. The middle blood vessel is sized for a blood vessel at normal body temperature.
Studies have shown that the warmth from the fires they build is enough to keep the body from fighting heat loss through shivering. [18] Inuit use well-insulated houses that are designed to transfer heat from an energy source to the living area, which means that the average indoor temperature for coastal Inuit is 10 to 20 °C (50 to 68 °F). [18]
In shivering, the heat is the main intended product and is utilized for warmth. [citation needed] Newborn babies, infants, and young children experience a greater (net) heat loss than adults because of greater surface-area-to-volume ratio. As they cannot shiver to maintain body heat, [citation needed] they rely on non-shivering thermogenesis.
The resting human body generates about two-thirds of its heat through metabolism in internal organs in the thorax and abdomen, as well as in the brain. The brain generates about 16% of the total heat produced by the body. [8] Heat loss is a major threat to smaller creatures, as they have a larger ratio of surface area to volume.
When heat loss exceeds heat generation, body temperature will fall. [2] Exertion increases heat production by metabolic processes, but when breathing gas is cold and dense, heat loss due to the increased volume of gas breathed to support these metabolic processes can result in a net loss of heat, even if the heat loss through the skin is minimised.
Get AOL Mail for FREE! Manage your email like never before with travel, photo & document views. Personalize your inbox with themes & tabs. You've Got Mail!
Heat stroke is an acute temperature elevation caused by exposure to excessive heat, or combination of heat and humidity, that overwhelms the heat-regulating mechanisms of the body. The latter is a relatively rare side effect of many drugs, particularly those that affect the central nervous system .