Reference no: EM132620560

Our body is tightly regulated to maintain an internal (core) temperature of 98.6 degrees F. On occasion, our internal thermostat is intentionally reset and we develop a fever. In the case of a fever, our body raises its internal temperature to make an environment less hospitable to germs since the higher temperature impedes the replication of most bacteria. Under normal conditions, a rising core temperature will result in homeostatic changes that bring it back to 98.6 degrees F. Dilation of blood vessels in the skin allows excess body heat to be radiated away into the environment. Sometimes there is an even greater need to remove heat and we perspire. The secreted water on the skin evaporates, carrying away more heat. If our core temperature drops, blood flow to the skin is reduced in order conserve body heat. These are examples of a homeostatic mechanism known as negative feedback control.

What may seem like small changes in core temperature can be serious. Should the core temperature deviate more than about seven degrees above or below the optimal figure of 98.6 degrees F, our control center in the hypothalamus loses its ability to regulate body temperature at all. Body temperature will continue to either rise or fall, resulting in death if medical attention isn't promptly given. Seven or eight degrees seems like such a small variation, but a core temperature of about 106, or as low as 90, will be life threatening.

1. Dilating blood vessels in the skin in an effort to radiate heat away from the body, is a form of

2. When we have an infection, we often develop a fever. What is the body trying to accomplish by temporarily raising the body temperature?