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Temperature control (thermoregulation) is a homeostatic mechanism that keeps the organism at optimum operating temperature, as the temperature affects the rate of chemical reactions. In humans , the average internal temperature is widely accepted to be 37 °C (98.6 °F), a "normal" temperature established in the 1800s.
Simplified control circuit of human thermoregulation. [8]The core temperature of a human is regulated and stabilized primarily by the hypothalamus, a region of the brain linking the endocrine system to the nervous system, [9] and more specifically by the anterior hypothalamic nucleus and the adjacent preoptic area regions of the hypothalamus.
Normal body temperature is around 37°C (98.6°F), and hypothermia sets in when the core body temperature gets lower than 35 °C (95 °F). [2] Usually caused by prolonged exposure to cold temperatures, hypothermia is usually treated by methods that attempt to raise the body temperature back to a normal range.
On the other hand, a "normal" temperature may be a fever, if it is unusually high for that person; for example, medically frail elderly people have a decreased ability to generate body heat, so a "normal" temperature of 37.3 °C (99.1 °F) may represent a clinically significant fever.
As the temperature decreases, further physiological systems falter and heart rate, respiratory rate, and blood pressure all decrease. This results in an expected heart rate in the 30s at a temperature of 28 °C (82 °F).
Hyperthermia; Other names: Overheating: An analog medical thermometer showing a temperature of 38.7 °C (101.7 °F): Specialty: Critical care medicine: Symptoms: Lack of perspiration, confusion, delirium, decreased blood pressure, increased heart rate and respiration rate, symptoms of dehydration
The main diagnostic sign is an oral body temperature that averages well below 37.0 °C (98.6 °F). This overlaps with normal body temperature, which is usually within the range of 36.5–37.5 °C (97.7–99.5 °F). [5] [6] Wilson says that his diagnosis is confirmed if the patient responds to treatment with slow-release T3 (SR-T3).
The average gestation period is 38 weeks, but a normal pregnancy can vary by up to 37 days. [191] Embryonic development in the human covers the first eight weeks of development; at the beginning of the ninth week the embryo is termed a fetus. [192]