The Skin’s Role in the Homeostasis of Body

TemperatureDevelopment CourseDr. Helen Mergenthal

HOMEOSTASIS • Internal conditions are not absolute• Limited range• Vary around a set point

Negative feedback is when the

body senses a change and tries

to reverse it back to stability.

Feedback Loops consists of:• Homeostatic range for a variable• Receptors• Control center• Effector

• Homeostatic range: 37 degrees Centigrade or 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit (plus or minus 0.5 degrees)

• The body’s thermostat is a part of the brain called the Hypothalamus.

• Above 37.5 degrees Centigrade, homeostasis is disturbed.

OpenStax College. (2013, June 19). Anatomy & Physiology. Retrieved from the Connexions Web site: http://cnx.org/content/col11496/1.6/

If the body temperature goes below 36.5 degrees Centigrade (97.7 degrees Fahrenheit)• Blood vessels in skin

constrict• Sweat glands stay inactive• Shivering, involuntary

muscle contractions, releases heat