THERMOREGULATION

PRESENTER: JOHARI ABDULLAH

FACILITATOR: DR MBELWA
 Introductio
🠶nHomoeothermic (WARM blooded)- Humans capable of maintaining their body
temperatures within narrow limits inspite of wide variations in
environmental (ambient) temperature.
🠶 Poikilothermic- (Cold blooded) eg.-fish, reptiles

🠶 Neutral zone temperature/ Comfortable temperature/Critical / ambient

temperature- at which there is no active heat loss and heat gain mechanism
operated by body.
🠶 So it is the lowest ambient temperature at which mammals can
maintain its body temperature at the basal metabolic rate.
🠶 Normally it is 27 ± 2º C
🠶 Living tissues can function optimally only within a very narrow range of
temperature.
Therefore accurate regulation of body temperature is a great boon: it enables the
animal to be physically active all round the year, and in different geographical
locations.
Why regulation of body
temperature is required ?
🠶 The enzymes of the body work in optimal temperature

🠶 Speed of chemical reaction varies with temperature

🠶 Very low temperature leads to cardiac fibrillation and failure

(Lower lethal core temperature is 26ºC )

🠶 Very high temperature leads to heat stroke (Upper lethal core

temperature is 43.5 ºC )
 Body
Temperature
🠶 Temperature can be expressed as 0 C
or 0F. C = ( F - 32) x 5/9 and F = (C x
9/5) + 32

🠶 Normal is 370C or 98.60F , Range-

36.3 to 37.1ºC (97.3- 98.8ºF)

🠶 Measured under tongue, axilla or

rectum by thermometer.

🠶 Oral temp is 0.50C less than core

body temperature (rectal temp).

🠶 Site for recording core temperature-

Rectum, Vagina, Tympanic Membrane

🠶 The core of the human body includes

the organs of the thorax, abdomen and
the head.
This is where the vital organs are located
Temperature (°C) with
Consequences
🠶 40-44°C -- Heat stroke with multiple organ failure and brain
lesions

🠶 38-40°C-- Hyperthermia (as a result of fever or exercise)

🠶 36-38°C -- Normal range

🠶 34-36°C -- Mild hypothermia

🠶 30-34°C-- Impairment of temperature regulation

🠶 27-29°C -- Cardiac fibrillation

 Factors affecting body
1.Age-temperature
🠶 Infant- 0.5ºC more than normal due to irregular activity, brown fat, premature thermoregulatory
mechanism.
🠶 Old age- subnormal temperature due to decrease activity, low BMR, weak thermoregulatory
mechanism.
2. Sex-
🠶 Females body temperature is slightly low due to low BMR, more subcutaneous fat.
🠶 Temperature increases 0.5ºC at the time of ovulation (Progesterone effects)
3. Diurnal variation-
🠶 its up to 1.5ºC. Lowest in early morning and maximum in evening.
4. Diseases-
🠶 Increased in hyperthyroidism, malignancy.
🠶 Decreased in hypothyroidism.
5. Exercise-
increased amount of heat). The body’s rate of heat production can vary from ~70 60
kcal/hr
It can at restincrease
cause to kcal/hr
upduring jogging.
to 40-41ºC / 104-106ºF ( inability of heat dissipating mechanism to 0
6.handle that factor-
Emotional
🠶 Can increase approx. 2ºC due to unconscious tensing of the muscle.
 Heat
🠶
Production
Heat production is a principal by-product of
metabolism The most important of these factors are
-
1. basal rate of metabolism of all the cells of the
body;
2. extra rate of metabolism caused by muscle
activity, including muscle contractions caused by
shivering;
3. extra metabolism by the effect of thyroxine
(growth hormone and testosterone) on the cells;
4. extra metabolism by the effect of epinephrine, norepinephrine, and sympathetic
stimulation on the cells;
5. extra metabolism by increased chemical activity in the cells themselves, especially
when the cell temperature increases;
6. extra metabolism needed for digestion, absorption, and storage of food (thermo-
Heat
loss
🠶 Insulator System of the Body
🠶 Blood Flow to the Skin from the Body Core Provides Heat Transfer
🠶 Control of Heat Conduction to the Skin by the Sympathetic Nervous
System.
🠶 Channel of heat loss- radiation, conduction, convection and
evaporation
🠶 Sweating and Its Regulation by the Autonomic Nervous System
🠶 Loss of heat by panting
🠶 Role of the Anterior Hypothalamic-Preoptic Area in Thermostatic
Detection of Temperature
 Insulator System of the Body and Blood Flow to
the Skin from the Body Core Provides Heat
Transfer
🠶 The skin, the subcutaneous tissues, and especially the fat of the subcutaneous
tissues act
together as a heat insulator for the body.
🠶 Blood vessels are distributed profusely beneath the skin.
🠶 It’s a continuous venous plexus that is supplied by inflow of blood from the skin
capillaries.
🠶 In the most exposed areas of the Body(hands, feet, and ear) blood is also
supplied to the plexus directly from the small arteries through highly
muscular arteriovenous anastomoses.
🠶 A high rate of skin flow causes heat
to be conducted more from the
core of the body to the skin.
🠶 Reduction in the rate of skin flow
can
decrease the heat conduction from
the core.
🠶 The skin is an effective controlled
 Channel of heat loss- radiation, conduction,
convection and evaporation
🠶 Radiation- about 60 percent in the form of infrared
heat rays.
🠶 Conduction- about 3 percent, from the
surface of the body to solid objects,
such as a chair or a bed. About 15
percent loss of heat by conduction to
air.
🠶 Convection- removal of heat from the
body by convection air currents
🠶 Evaporation- water evaporates
from the body surface, 0.58 Calorie of
heat is lost for each
gram of water that evaporates. water
evaporates
Temperature – Regulating
reflexes
🠶 Thermoreceptors detect changes in the balance
between heat loss & production.
🠶 Two types-
🠶 Peripheral on Skin (free nerve ending)
🠶 Central in hypothalamus (integrating center), spinal cord,
abdominal organs.
🠶 Output from hypothalamus is sent to effectors via-
🠶 sympathetic nerves to sweat glands,
🠶 skin arterioles & adrenal medulla.
🠶 Motor neuron to skeletal muscles.
🠶 Core temp is maintained relatively constantly.
🠶 Peripheral thermoreceptors help identify heat & cold.
Thermo-neutral
zone(TNZ)

🠶 250C to 300 C or 750F to 860F is known as a Thermo-neutral zone.

🠶 At temperature lower than this TNZ - Vasoconstriction cannot

prevent heat loss from exceeding heat production & this requires
the body to increase heat production.

🠶 At temperature above this TNZ - Vasodilation cannot eliminate the

heat as fast as it is produced & this requires another heat loss
mechanism ‘SWEATING’
Control Mechanisms of
Temperature Regulation
🠶 Nervous Mechanisms
🠶Thermoregulatory centers
🠶 Direct Action
🠶 Reflex Mechanisms
🠶 Efferent Nerves

🠶Endocrine and Temperature

Control
🠶 Adrenal Medulla
🠶 Adrenal Cortex
🠶 Thyroid

🠶 Behavioral & Voluntary control

Hypothalamus
control
🠶 Receptors - warmth & cold receptors from skin, deep tissues,
spinal cord
and hypothalamus
🠶 Heat loss center – Pre-optic & Anterior hypothalamic nuclei
🠶 Heat gain center - Posterior hypothalamus

🠶 Warming of anterior hypothalamus (Heat loss)

🠶 Vasodilatation
🠶 Sweating
🠶 Hyperpnoea
🠶 Injury abolishes the heat loss responses to hot environment.

🠶 Stimulation of Posterior hypothalamus (Heat production)

🠶 Vasoconstriction
🠶 Injury abolishes responses to cold & interferes with the responses to
heat.

🠶 Preoptic region of Anterior Hypothalamus is regarded as the

thermostat.
Hypothalamus control
(Contd.)

🠶 Direct action:
When environmental temperature-
🠶 Is high, warm blood flowing through hypothalamus
causes HEAT
LOSS responses.

🠶 Is low, cool blood causes

HEAT PRODUCTION / CONSERVATION responses.
Hypothalamus control
(Contd.)
🠶 Reflex Mechanisms
🠶 Sensitive thermoreceptors
🠶in the skin carry information via cutaneous nerves and
hypothalamus

🠶 Efferent Nerves
🠶Autonomic
🠶Sympathetic adrenergic vasomotor nerves
(cutaneous vasoconstriction &
vasodilatation)
🠶Sympathetic cholinergic nerves to sweat
glands
🠶Somatic
🠶Nerves to skeletal muscle ( tone, activity,
shivering)
 Endocrine
control
🠶 Adrenal medulla-
🠶 Immediate adrenaline release (Calorigenic)
🠶 Exposure to cold leads to-
🠶 Cutaneous vasoconstriction leads to heat loss
🠶 Metabolic rate & heat production

🠶 Adrenal Cortex-
🠶 BMR is low in adrenal cortical insufficiency
🠶 Patients do not tolerate cold well & body temp is
subnormal.

🠶 Thyroid Hormone-
🠶 Calorigenic
🠶 Permissive action on adrenaline calorigenesis
🠶 Hyperthyroidism- Skin is warm
Behavioral and Voluntary
Control
🠶 Animals move from warm to cold regions
🠶 Curling up of body in cold conditions
🠶 Clothing in woolens in winter and thin cotton clothing in
summer.
🠶 Fans, air conditioners, heaters & central heating
Control of heat
production

Response to exposure to
cold
 Shivering thermogenesis
- This contains rhythmical oscillatory muscle contractions.
- No external work is involved, all the energy liberated by the
metabolic machinery appears as internal heat.

 Non shivering Thermogenesis

- Increase in (metabolic rate) heat production not due to
muscular activity.
- Increased epinephrine, sympathetic activity to adipose tissue &
contribution of thyroid hormone.
 Effector mechanisms in Temperature
Regulation
STIMULATED BY COLD
Desired Effect Mechanism
Heat conservation/ 1.Vasoconstriction of skin vessels
2. Reduction of surface area (curling up)
Decreased Heat 3. Behavioral responses (warm clothes)
Loss 4. Piloerection
5. Abolition of sweating

Increased 1.Increased muscle tone

2. Shivering & increased voluntary activity
Heat 3. Adrenalin, nor-adrenalin secretion (minimal)
Production
4. Thyroxin production
5. Hunger
6. Increased appetite
 Effector mechanisms in Temperature
Regulation STIMULATED BY HEAT

Desired effect Mechanism

Increased Heat 1.Vasodilation of skin vessels
2. Sweating
Loss 3. Behavioral response
4. Insensible perspiration
5.Increased respiration
6.Excretion of urine and
feces

Decreased 1.Decreased muscle tone

2. Decreased secretion of epinephrine (minimal)
Heat 3. Decreased Appetite
Production 4. Apathy
5. Decrease voluntary activities
6.Decrease TSH secretion
Core body
temperatu
When body temperature is
re high
>37°C
Thermoreceptors

Ant. Hypothalamus & Preoptic

area nerve Muscles of
s
Sweat arteriole walls
glands of skin relax
Muscles increas Skin arteries dilate
reduce e More blood to the
activity secretio skin.
n More radiation &
conduction of
heat

More water
covers the
skin.
Less heat More evaporation
generated
 NEGATIVE Blood
FEEDBACK temperatu
re

Muscles
of skin
Thermoreceptors arteriole
walls
relax
Core body Swea Body
nerve Return to
temperature Thermorecepto Hypothalamus s t loses 37°C
>37°C rs gland heat
s
increas
e
secretio
n
Muscles
reduce
activity
 Core When body temperature
temperatu
body
re
is low
<37°C
Thermoreceptor
s
Hypothalamus nerve
s
Muscles of
nerve Swe skin
arteriole
s gland
at constri
walls
Muscl decreas
s ct
shiverin
es seecretio Skin arteries
g n constrict
Less blood to the
skin.
Less radiation &
conduction of
heat

Less water covers the skin.

Less evaporation

More
heat
 NEGATIVE Blood
FEEDBACK temperatu
re
Muscles
of skin
arteriole
Thermoreceptor walls
s constrict Body
nerve loses
s Sweat less
Core body Return
temperatu Thermoreceptors Hypothalamus glands heat to
re decreas
37°C
<37°C e
secretio
n Body
Muscle gains
nerve s
shiverin heat
s
g
 Fever &
🠶
Hyperthermia
Fever is an elevation of body temperature due to a “resetting of the
thermostat”
🠶 > 990F
🠶 Bacterial / Viral Infections (Pyrogen), trauma, lesions/Tumor of CNS,
exposure to high temperatures & drug induced.
🠶 Pyrogen: any substance that rise the set point of hypothalamus
🠶 Gram negative Bacterial endotoxins , cell membrane proteins &
breakdown products
🠶 interleukin-1
🠶 Inflammatory mediators: kinin, bradykinin, prostaglandin E2
🠶 The cytokines are polypeptides.
🠶 They are also produced by cells in CNS when these are stimulated by
infection
🠶 They may act directly on thermoregulatory center.
🠶 Fever produced by cytokines is due to local release of prostaglandin in
🠶 Characteristic of febrile
condition:-
🠶 Increased heat production by shivering (rigor) & increased
metabolism.
🠶 Diminished heat loss by vasoconstriction.
🠶 Skin is warm & flushed.
🠶 Subsides by sweating.
🠶 Antibodies production are high in fever.
🠶 Many micro-organism are destroyed by fever.
🠶 Hyperthermia slows the growth.
 INFECTION,
Inflammation,
Pyrogen
LIVER(Kupffer cells) MULTIPLE ORGANS
MACROPHAGES,Monocyt MACROPHAGE
es IL-1, IL-6 S IL-1, IL6
Firing of neural
Pre-optic area of
receptors HYPOTHALAMUS
TEMP SET POINT

Skeletal Muscles SKIN ARTERIOLES

VASOCONSTRICTION
Shivering Curling
up
HEAT PRODUCTION HEAT LOSS

Heat production greater than heat

loss

Heat retention

BODY TEMPERATURE
Treatme
nt
🠶 Tepid Sponging
🠶 Antipyretic agents- Aspirin, Paracetamol
🠶 Aspirin blocks PG-E2
🠶 Treatment of specific causes like
antibiotics etc.
 Heat
Stroke
🠶 Serious Condition, high environmental
temperature
🠶 Overheating of body, impaired sweating
🠶 Hyperpyrexia (410C or 1060F)
🠶 Symptoms-
🠶 Headache,
🠶 Restlessness
🠶 Mental confusion /Delirium,
🠶 Convulsions,
🠶 CV collapse &
🠶 COMA.
🠶 Death results if untreated
🠶 Temperature to be brought down to 1020F with ice
packs
Hypothermi
a
🠶 Reduction in temp < 350C
🠶 The body temperature has fallen below 28ºC / 85°F, the ability of the
hypothalamus
to regulate temperature is lost.
🠶 At 270C the metabolism is greatly reduced.
🠶 Person exposed to ice water for 20 to 30 minutes ordinarily dies because
of heart fibrillation. (Death in RMS Titanic disaster)

🠶 Symptoms-
🠶 HR,BP & RR are decreased
🠶 Unconscious state
🠶 Cause-
🠶 Exposure to low temperature
🠶 Cardiac surgery where heart is stopped
Frostbit
e
🠶 When the body is exposed to extremely low temperatures, surface areas can
freeze; the
freezing is called frostbite.
🠶 Especially in the lobes of the ears, tip of nose and in the digits of the hands and
feet.
🠶 It is mainly mountaineering hazards.