Temperature Regulation
Temperature Regulation - Related Videos
08:29
Regulating Temperature in the Lab: Applying Heat
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2023
Although many experimental assays are performed at room temperature (RT; ~20-25°C), it is not uncommon for experiments, or parts of experiments, to require some type of temperature regulation. This video discusses the different reasons for and temperatures at which a scientist may want to “keep things warm”. For example, sometime, cells need to be cultured in an environment close to body temperature (~37°C), protein structure needs to be modified (>56°C), or reagents and solutions need to...
08:07
Regulating Temperature in the Lab: Preserving Samples Using Cold
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2023
Preservation of laboratory samples, specimens, and reagents using extreme cold is routinely performed in biomedical research labs. This video will discuss some of the methods for keeping laboratory samples cold and will explain the correct cooling method to use for each experimental requirement. For example, cooling agents, such as ice and dry ice, are typically used when keeping samples cold during experiments. This video discusses the physical properties of the most commonly used cooling...
01:46
Epigenetic Regulation
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2019
Epigenetic mechanisms play an essential role in healthy development. Conversely, precisely regulated epigenetic mechanisms are disrupted in diseases like cancer. In most mammals, females have two X chromosomes (XX) while males have an X and a Y chromosome (XY). The X chromosome contains significantly more genes than the Y chromosome. Therefore, to prevent an excess of X chromosome-linked gene expression in females, one of the two X chromosomes is randomly silenced during early development.
02:14
GTPases and their Regulation
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2020
Guanine nucleotide-binding proteins (G-proteins), also known as GTPases, are a superfamily of proteins that regulate many cellular processes, such as cell signaling, vesicular transport, and the regulation of cell shape and motility. Mutation or dysfunction of these proteins can lead to disease. There are around 40,000 known G-proteins that can broadly be classified into two groups ‒ small G-proteins consisting of a single domain and large multi-domain G-proteins. Large G-proteins, also known...
03:17
Temperature Dependence - Concepts
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2020
Chemical Kinetics The reaction rate is the speed at which a chemical reaction occurs. The reaction rate is defined as the change in concentration of a component in the reaction with time. The speed of a reaction depends on several factors, including the concentration of reactants and the temperature at which the reaction is performed. Each reactant contributes to the speed of the reaction by a specific factor. This relationship is defined by the reaction rate law. Rate Law The rate law is an...
FAQs
The hypothalamus integrates information from central and peripheral thermoreceptors, then coordinates responses appropriate to the direction of change. When temperature rises, it promotes sweating and skin vasodilation. When temperature falls, it supports vasoconstriction and shivering. This coordinated control helps maintain conditions needed for normal cellular and organ function.
Central and peripheral thermoreceptors provide the hypothalamus with information about thermal conditions from different parts of the body. Their signals are integrated rather than interpreted independently, allowing the nervous system to select responses suited to warming or cooling. This sensory arrangement gives clinicians a framework for understanding how thermoregulatory disturbances may arise.
These responses address opposite thermal challenges. Sweating and skin vasodilation accompany rising body temperature, while vasoconstriction and shivering accompany falling temperature. Together, they show that thermoregulation depends on coordinated effectors rather than a single response. Recognizing the response pattern can help relate a patient’s physical findings to excessive warmth or excessive cooling.
Temperature regulation provides a physiological framework for interpreting abnormal body temperatures and the responses that accompany them. Clinicians can consider whether findings reflect excessive warming, excessive cooling, or altered control of the normal response pathways. This perspective supports assessment of fever, hypothermia, and heat illness without treating temperature as an isolated measurement.
During surgery and critical care, clinicians may use controlled warming or cooling as part of patient management. The purpose is to influence metabolic demand and support patient outcomes while the patient’s temperature is being actively controlled. Understanding the underlying responses helps connect the selected thermal approach with the physiological demands of these settings.
The clinical importance of temperature regulation extends across infection and neonatal care, where temperature management can affect patient outcomes. It also helps clinicians recognize the relevance of disorders involving the nervous or endocrine systems, because these systems can influence thermoregulatory control. Thus, temperature findings may provide context for broader physiological or disease-related assessment.