BODY TEMPERATURE REGULATION.

Temperature Regulation
By the end of the lesson you should know:
How the heat is generated in our body How the body corrects overheating, How the body corrects overcooling, What thermocreceptors do? What CNS and peripheral mechanisms regulates body temperature? What voluntary responses are carried out to control temperature.

Temperature Regulation
CORE TEMPERATURE: The temperature of the deep tissues remains almost exactly constant except when a person develops a febrile illness.

SHELL TEMPERATURE:- (skin temperature),

skin temperature rises & falls with the temperature of the surroundings.

Temperature Regulation
NORMAL BODY TEMPERATURE: Oral, Axillary, Rectal.
The average normal oral temperature in young adults measured in the morning is 37C or 98.4F with a range between 36.3 and 37.1 C. The oral temperature is normally 0.50C lower than the rectal temp, Axillary temperature is 0.50C lower than oral temperature.

Physiological variations in body temperature

1.
REGULAR CIRCADIAN FLUCTUATION:- Normally, the body temp. undergoes a regular circadian fluctuation of about 0.60C being lowest in the morning & highest in the evening.

2. MENSTURAL FLUCTUATION IN FEMALE:In Woman there is a monthly cycle of temp. variation characterized by a rise in basal temp. of about 0.50 C at the time of ovulation &during the second half of the menstrual cycle.A similar rise occurs during the first trimester of pregnancy.

3. IN CHILDREN:Temp. regulation is less precise and they may normally have a temp. that is 0.50C above the normal for adults.

Physiological variations in body temperature

4. DURING EXERCISE:Excess heat is produced in the body and the rectal temp. can normally rise to as high as 400C . 5. EMOTIONAL STATES:Emotional excitement slightly increases the body temp. probably due to unconscious tensing of muscles. 6. INCREASE METABOLIC RATE:When the metabolic rate is high the body temp. is chronically elevated by as much as 0.50C and vice verse.

Temperature Regulation
NORMAL BODY TEMPERATURE REGULATION:-

Balance between:
HEAT LOSS, and HEAT GAIN. The body temp. is kept constant when the rate of heat production in the body is equal to the rate of heat loss.

The balance between heat production & heat loss :

HEAT PRODUCTION: Basal rate of metabolism, Contraction of skeletal muscles, Food ingestion, and Hormones: By the slow but prolonged effect of thyroxin on the cells, The rapid but short lived effect of epinephrine, nor epinephrine.

The balance between heat production & heat loss :

SITES OF HEAT PRODUCTION: Most of the heat produced in the body is generated in the organs: especially in the liver, the brain the heart and the skeletal muscles, especially during exercise.

The balance between heat production & heat loss :

HEAT LOSS: As most of heat is generated in internal organs heat loss from the body occurs in two steps:
A. B. Conduction of heat from the deeper organs and tissues to the skin, Transfer of heat from the skin to the surrounding.

The balance between heat production & heat loss :

HEAT LOSS:- FIRST STEP
Heat Conduction to the Skin: Depends upon the blood flow into the cutaneous blood vessels, Determined by degree of vasoconstriction, Vasoconstriction in turn is controlled almost entirely by the sympathetic nervous system, The rate of heat conduction to the skin is known as tissue conductance.

The balance between heat production & heat loss :

HEAT LOSS:- SECOND STEP;
Heat loss from the skin surface: Radiation: It means transfer of heat as infrared electromagnetic rays from one object to another at a different temp. with which it is not contact. At normal temp. about 60% of the total heat loss from a nude person occurs by radiation.

Conduction: It means heat exchange between objects at different temp. that are in contact with one another, Only minute amount of heat are normally lost from the body by direct conduction to other objects, 3% large amounts of heat are lost by conduction to air.

The balance between heat production & heat loss :

HEAT LOSS: Heat loss from the skin surface;
Convection: It is the removal of heat from the body by convection air currents, About 12% of heat loss from the body occurs by conduction to the air and then by convection.

. Evaporation;
Loss of heat in form of water vapors, Evaporation of 1g water removes about 0.6 Kcal. Of heat, Sweating provides a very important way of heat loss from the body which can be regulated, Insensible water loss,600 ml/day.

The balance between heat production & heat loss :

HEAT LOSS: Urine and fecal losses;
Small amounts of heat are removed in the urine and Feces.

TEMPERATURE REGULATING CENTRES :

The temp. of the body is regulated almost entirely by: Temp. regulating centers, Located in the HYPOTHALAMUS, Acts as thermostat of our body.

1. The anterior hypothalamus-preoptic area:1. The preoptic & 2. Anterior hypothalamic nuclei;

2. The posterior hypothalamus:-

TEMPERATURE REGULATING CENTRES :

1. THE ANTERIOR HYPOTHALAMUS-PREOPTIC AREA:Contain two types of neurones;
A)Heat Sensitive neurons(receptors):- which are present in large numbers. They increase their rate of firing as the temp. rises. B)Cold sensitive neurons (receptors):- which are less in number than the heat sensitive neurons. Their firing rate increase when the body temp. falls.

Both of these types of cells function as temp. sensor for controlling body temp.

TEMPERATURE REGULATING CENTRES :

2,THE POSTERIOR HYPOTHALAMUS:The posterior hypothalamus contains a special area located bilaterally, approximately at the level of the mammary bodies, This area receives signals from the anterior hypothalamus -preoptic area and from peripheral receptors.

Other thermo regulating mechanisms

Autonomic, Somatic, Endocrine, & Behavioral changes.
When the body temp. increases above the critical temp, (the set-point in the hypothalamus), one group of these change take place to increase heat loss & decreases heat.

Peripheral receptors for detection of Temperature

THERMORECEPTORS: Specialized neurons that senses the changes in temperature;

They are present in the following sites:A) The skin :Where both cold and warmth receptors are present. However, there are far more cold receptors than warmth receptors. Therefore, skin receptors mainly concerns detection of cold rather than warm temp. of the body surface.

Peripheral receptors for detection of Temperature

THERMORECEPTORS
B) DEEP BODY TISSUES: Mainly in the: Spinal cord, In the abdominal viscera, and Around the great veins. Tendons, Joints. These receptors detect body core temp. rather than the body surface temperature. Like the skin receptors they detect cold. Therefore, both the skin and deep body receptors are concerned with preventing low body temperatures

 When the body core temp. either increase above or decreases below almost exactly 37o C, several thermoregulatory responses take place to bring it back to this temp. Therefore, this critical temp. level is called theset-point of the temp. control system.
When the body temp. increases: Above the critical temp, (the set-point in the hypothalamus), one group of these change take place to increase heat loss & decreases heat production. When the body temp. decreases: Another group of change takes place to decrease heat loss & increase heat production

Temp. regulating mechanisms Thermoregulatory responses :

TEMP. REGULATING MECHANISMS As body temp. increases:

(1)Increase heat loss ; (mechanisms activated by
HEAT)

Cutaneous vaso dilatation, Sweating,

By ant. Hypothalamic signals, Through the sympathetic cholinergic fibers to the sweat glands, Increases the evaporative heat loss, Sweat gland can also be stimulated by epinephrine or nor epinephrine circulating in the blood e.g exercise,

TEMP. REGULATING MECHANISMS As body temp. increases:

(2) Decrease heat production:(mechanisms
activated by HEAT)

1.
2. 3.

Strong inhibition of mechanisms which cause excess heat production, Anorexia, Apathy and inertia.

behavioral responses..

TEMP. REGULATING MECHANISMS

As body temp. decreases:- (mechanisms
activated by cold)

DECREASE HEAT LOSS : Cutaneous vasoconstriction :

Caused by stimulated of the posterior hypothslsmus sympathetic centers. This decreases the rate of heat transfer to the skin.

Behavioral responses.(to put on suitable clothes.) Pilo erection;

This mechanism is not important in the human being and is manifested by goose skin, but in lower animals upright projection of the hairs allows them to entrap a thick layer of insulator air next to the skin.

TEMP. REGULATING MECHANISMS As body temp. decreases: (mechanisms

activated by cold)

INCREASE HEAT PRODUCTION: Shivering :

It is an involuntary response of the skeletal muscles which is controlled by an area in the posterior hypothalamus called the primary motor center for shivering, This center becomes activated when the body temp. falls even slightly below 370C, Increase the tone of the skeletal muscles throughout the body, During Maximum shivering ,body heat production can rise to as high as five times normal.

TEMP. REGULATING MECHANISMS As body temp. decreases: (mechanisms

activated by cold)

INCREASE HEAT PRODUCTION: Semiconscious general increase in motor activity, Increased secretion of nor epinephrine and epinephrine:
This can cause an immediate increase in the rate of cellular metabolism. This effect is called chemical thermo genesis,

Increased thyroxin secretion:

Exposure to cold increase the production of thyrotropinreleasing hormone by the hypothalamus, increase in metabolism requires several weeks, it is of little significance in adult humans.

Abnormalities Of Body Temp. Regulation Fever ( pyrexia) :- It means an elevation of

core body temp. above the level which is normally maintained by the individual.
It results when the set point of the hypothalamic temp. control system is elevated to a new point above 370C. Consequently, all the mechanisms for raising the body temp. are activated including shivering and cutaneous vasoconstriction. Within few hours the body Temperature approaches the new set point temperature which may exceeds 41.10C.

Pathogenesis Of Fever :
Substances which elevate the set point are called pyrogens and they include:
Bacterial toxins, Components of various micro organisms, and Products of tissue degeneration, These substances act on cells of the immune system including monocytes, macrophages and kupffer cells to produce cytokines that act as endogenous pyrogens (EPS)eg. Interleukin 6 (IL-6),
tumour necrosis factor or (TNF), IL-1 and several interferons.

Hyperthermia :
It means an elevation of body temp. higher than the thermoregulatory set point, usually due to an exogenous cause. It may be caused by :
1) Increased heat production
1)By severe muscular exercise or 2)High environmental temp., which exceeds the normal capacity of heat loss mechanism.

2)

Impaired heat loss

1)due to high humidity or 2) drugs that impair sweating such as anticholinergics.

3)

Brain tumors compressing the hypothalamus

Heat stroke
When the rectal temp. is over 430C, the person develops heat stroke which commonly causes death because :
A)There is a limit to the rate at which the body can loss heat even with maximal sweating. B)When the hypothalamus becomes excessively heated, its heat regulating ability becomes greatly depressed and sweating diminishes. As a result a high body temp. tends to perpetuate itself.

: Heat strok
1) Symptoms of heat stroke:
1) 2) 3) 4) 5) Include dizziness, Abdominal distress, Delirium and Eventually loss of consciousness and Death.

2) These manifestations result from two causes:1) Direct damaging effect of very high body temperature on all body tissues especially the brain. Some degree of circulatory shock caused by excessive loss of fluid and electrolytes in the sweat.

2)

Hypothermia :
It is defined as core body temperature of less than 350C.
Hypothermia is caused by: exposure to cold especially when associated with other conditions such as:
Advanced age, Decreased metabolic rate, CNS diseases, Malnutrition, Drugs as alcohol and Paralysis.

Effects of hypothermia
On the body include:
Depressed mental status followed by loss of consciousness, Shivering which stops below 320C, Very slow respiration, Low heart rate, Decreased blood pressure and Arrhythmias .

Thank you

Acclimatization of the sweating mechanism :

When a normal person is exposed to hot weather for 1 to 6 weeks two changes take place which are called acclimatization of the sweating mechanism. These are : A) Sweat production increases to as much 2 liters/hour. B) Decreased concentration of sodium chloride in the sweat caused by increased secretion of aldosterone.