The Hypothalamus's Role In Regulating Body Temperature

The structure and function of the skin regulates the body temperature. The skins main function is to cover the outside of the body and preventing anything bad from entering into it. When skin cells shred off the surface layer new ones will form. The skin not only forms a waterproof layer and it helps make sure that heat doesn’t leave the body. It has a major role in the homeostatic regulation of the core body temperature and is said to be part of the nervous system due to its sensitivity. Throughout the body the skin thickness varies in sizes, the eyelids and lips are the thinnest and the thickest is the soles of your feet. The production of heat is when it is generated by the metabolic process which takes place in the body. Even though energy is released during chemical …show more content…
During body temperature regulation the hypothalamus plays a role in it. The hypothalamus is in the brain and its functions are to regulate the body temperature and control the autonomic nervous system. As well, the receptors of heat are located in the peripheral skin and among internal organs. The hypothalamus sends nerve impulses to the muscles, sweat glands and skin blood. Furthermore, the parasympathetic nervous system has no major role in the thermos-regulation except it helps coat the unstriated muscle of the skin arterioles to relax. Also the sympathetic nervous system looks after both the sweat glands and the calibre of arterioles. The sweat glands become activated by the sympathetic nerves and the arterioles increase in size so that more heat to the top of the skin. This increases heat loss by evaporation of sweat and radiation. When the sympathetic is active it causes the arterioles to constrict but the body sweating stops. By this happening heat lose is reduced which makes the skin colder for touch and helps the core temperature to stay the same. To continue, when the muscular skeleton shakes it is called