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As in other mammals, human thermoregulation is an important aspect of homeostasis. In thermoregulation, body heat is generated mostly in the deep organs, especially the liver, brain, and heart, and in contraction of skeletal muscles. [1] Humans have been able to adapt to a great diversity of climates, including hot humid and hot arid.
Thermoregulation is the ability of an organism to keep its body temperature within certain boundaries, even when the surrounding temperature is very different. A thermoconforming organism, by contrast, simply adopts the surrounding temperature as its own body temperature, thus avoiding the need for internal thermoregulation.
Limb length affects the body's surface area, which helps with thermoregulation. Shorter limbs help to conserve heat, while longer limbs help to dissipate heat. [13] Marshall T. Newman argues that this can be observed in Eskimo, who have shorter limbs than other people and are laterally built. [14]
Behavioral thermoregulation takes precedence over physiological thermoregulation since necessary changes can be affected more quickly and physiological thermoregulation is limited in its capacity to respond to extreme temperatures. [34] When the core temperature falls, the blood supply to the skin is reduced by intense vasoconstriction. [18]
In general, warm-bloodedness refers to three separate categories of thermoregulation.. Endothermy [a] is the ability of some creatures to control their body temperatures through internal means such as muscle shivering or increasing their metabolism.
Hyperthermia affects those who are unable to regulate their body heat, mainly due to environmental conditions. The main risk factor for hyperthermia is the lack of ability to sweat. People who are dehydrated or who are older may not produce the sweat they need to regulate their body temperature. [ 33 ]
It may also occur from any condition that decreases heat production or increases heat loss. [1] Commonly, this includes alcohol intoxication but may also include low blood sugar, anorexia and advanced age. [2] [1] Body temperature is usually maintained near a constant level of 36.5–37.5 °C (97.7–99.5 °F) through thermoregulation. [2]
An endotherm (from Greek ἔνδον endon "within" and θέρμη thermē "heat") is an organism that maintains its body at a metabolically favorable temperature, largely by the use of heat released by its internal bodily functions instead of relying almost purely on ambient heat.