The skin as we all know is the largest organ in the body. Also with exception of the bones and cartilages, it's the toughest tissue in the body. It does live up to its status by carrying out numerous functions such as protection, excretion, storage of food, sensitivity, regulation of the body temperature, production of vitamin D through the early sunshine and so on.
Today we are going to see how the skin regulates the body temperature especially in we homoiothermic animals; animals with constant body temperature.
This is truly amazing as how the skin keeps the body temperature constant regardless of changes in external environment though the liquid tissue cell (blood) also plays a role at body temperature regulation.
On a hot day or weather, there's usually an increase in the temperature of the environment and the skin carry out the following processes to get rid of excess heat and thus to keep the body temperature constant.
VASODILATION:
There is a dilation of the capillaries near the skin surface and a constriction of those in the deeper layer. The impact of this is a large volume of blood flow close to the surface of the skin such that there's a loss of heat via the three mood of heat transfer namely; conduction, convection and radiation.
DECREASE IN METABOLIC RATE: There is a reduction in metabolic activity by the skin or body and this reduces the heat released by metabolic activity and thus heat production is reduced.
LOWERING OF HAIRS: We usually notice that the hairs especially those on the hands and legs rise and fall. Yes they rise and fall.
During hot days, the hair erector muscles relax causing the hairs to lie flat on the skin surface. This expose most of the air trapped by the hairs and also heat from the body is lost as the air evaporates.
SWEATING:
The sweat gland is usually active during hot periods and there's large sweat production. As the sweat evaporate from the skin, latent heat of evaporation is also extracted from the body hence the heat of the body is reduced.
On a cold day or weather, the following processes are done by the skin to regulate the body temperature.
RAISING OF THE HAIRS:
The hair erector muscle contract to raise the hair and trap more air during a cold weather. Since air is a bad conductor of heat, the layer of air next to the skin acts as an insulator and prevent heat loss from the body and conserves the normal body temperature.
VOSOCONSTRICTION: There's constriction of capillaries close to the skin surface and also a dilation of capillaries in deeper layer of the skin. This brings about small volume of blood flow near the skin surface and hence prevents loss of heat and conserves body heat or temperature.
INCREASE IN METABOLIC ACTIVITY: The skin increases the metabolic activity of the body especially the respiratory activity of the liver that release large amount of energy and heat. This help to generate the heat necessary to keep the body's temperature from dropping during cold weather.
SWEATING:
THE sweat gland become inactive on a cold day and hence there is very little production of sweat that gets evaporated thereby conserving the latent heat of vaporization and rather use it to keep the body temperature constant by ensuring no drop 'in temperature rate throughout the body.
Today we are going to see how the skin regulates the body temperature especially in we homoiothermic animals; animals with constant body temperature.
This is truly amazing as how the skin keeps the body temperature constant regardless of changes in external environment though the liquid tissue cell (blood) also plays a role at body temperature regulation.
On a hot day or weather, there's usually an increase in the temperature of the environment and the skin carry out the following processes to get rid of excess heat and thus to keep the body temperature constant.
VASODILATION:
There is a dilation of the capillaries near the skin surface and a constriction of those in the deeper layer. The impact of this is a large volume of blood flow close to the surface of the skin such that there's a loss of heat via the three mood of heat transfer namely; conduction, convection and radiation.
DECREASE IN METABOLIC RATE: There is a reduction in metabolic activity by the skin or body and this reduces the heat released by metabolic activity and thus heat production is reduced.
LOWERING OF HAIRS: We usually notice that the hairs especially those on the hands and legs rise and fall. Yes they rise and fall.
During hot days, the hair erector muscles relax causing the hairs to lie flat on the skin surface. This expose most of the air trapped by the hairs and also heat from the body is lost as the air evaporates.
SWEATING:
The sweat gland is usually active during hot periods and there's large sweat production. As the sweat evaporate from the skin, latent heat of evaporation is also extracted from the body hence the heat of the body is reduced.
On a cold day or weather, the following processes are done by the skin to regulate the body temperature.
RAISING OF THE HAIRS:
The hair erector muscle contract to raise the hair and trap more air during a cold weather. Since air is a bad conductor of heat, the layer of air next to the skin acts as an insulator and prevent heat loss from the body and conserves the normal body temperature.
VOSOCONSTRICTION: There's constriction of capillaries close to the skin surface and also a dilation of capillaries in deeper layer of the skin. This brings about small volume of blood flow near the skin surface and hence prevents loss of heat and conserves body heat or temperature.
INCREASE IN METABOLIC ACTIVITY: The skin increases the metabolic activity of the body especially the respiratory activity of the liver that release large amount of energy and heat. This help to generate the heat necessary to keep the body's temperature from dropping during cold weather.
SWEATING:
THE sweat gland become inactive on a cold day and hence there is very little production of sweat that gets evaporated thereby conserving the latent heat of vaporization and rather use it to keep the body temperature constant by ensuring no drop 'in temperature rate throughout the body.
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