Control of blood glucose concentration

The human body is a complex system that works hard to maintain a constant internal temperature of around 37°C. This is the optimal temperature for enzymes to function efficiently.

To keep the body temperature steady, the body must balance the amount of energy it gains (e.g., through respiration) with the amount of energy it loses.

The thermoregulatory center in the brain plays a crucial role in controlling body temperature. This center receives information from temperature receptors located in the blood and the skin.

When the body's temperature deviates from the ideal, the thermoregulatory center triggers effectors to counteract the change. These effectors include:

• Sweat glands: Produce sweat to cool the body through evaporation.

• Blood vessels: Dilate (vasodilation) to increase blood flow to the skin and promote heat loss, or constrict (vasoconstriction) to reduce blood flow and conserve heat.

• Muscles: Shiver to generate heat through increased metabolic activity.

If the body temperature is too high, blood vessels dilate (vasodilation) and sweat is produced from the sweat glands. Both these mechanisms cause a transfer of energy from the skin to the environment. 

If the body temperature is too low, blood vessels constrict (vasoconstriction), sweating stops and skeletal muscles contract (shiver)