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Essay on Anatomy & Physiology - Body Temp Fluctuations

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Q. A young hiker has been on a long walk. He is now sitting in front of a small campfire, drinking a hot cup of soup. It is dark and a frost is beginning to form on his tent. Explain the hiker’s heat gains and losses, and what mechanisms would come into effect to keep his temperature at the desired 37ºC.

Humans are subject to vast changes in environmental temperatures, but our complex biochemical systems have a major limitation in that enzymes only operate within a relatively narrow temperature range. Accordingly the human body have anatomical and physiological mechanisms that keep body temperatures within acceptable limits, regardless of environmental conditions. This homeostatic process is called thermoregulation and it involves …show more content…

Our hiker has just been on a long walk and this prolonged and perhaps strenuous activity creates heat gain in the body due to the increase in metabolic rate. In order to maintain an optimum body temperature his system will have already been involved in a variety or heat loss mechanisms. The heat loss centre will have stimulated three major effects: The inhibition of the vasomotor centre causes peripheral vasodilation and warm blood flows to the surface of the body, the skin takes on a reddish colour and skin temperature rises. The heat generated can be dissipated to the surrounding environment via any exposed skin, this process is known as radiation. If the hike was vigorous, blood flow to the skin will have increased and in turn the sweat glands will have been stimulated to increase their secretory output. As the perspiration flows across the body’s surface evaporative heat losses accelerate. Finally, if the exercise is strenuous enough it may also have stimulated increased respiration, so as the respiratory centres are stimulated the depth of respiration increases and the hiker may even begin to respire through an open mouth rather than through the

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