The Heat

[iskorpit]

So here's a science question for everyone out there... I honestly don't know the answer. If our body temperature is 37C (98.6F) why are we so uncomfortable with temperatures over about 25C? You would think we'd be most comfortable with a temperature that is the same as our body temperature. So what gives? Help from anyone that knows their science

Comments

[tjsun]

As far as I know.... :)

The living body constantly generates heat as a result of it's basic functions. This happens at all times -- while eating, digesting, circulating blood, thinking, moving, sleeping, etc.

Because the body is generating heat at all times, it needs ways to cool itself off before overheating beyond it's health. One of the easiest ways for it to do this is by simply letting heat radiate into the surrounding environment. Heat will naturally flow from a warmer body into a cooler body. The greater the difference in temperatures, the quicker this exchange occurs. Conversely, the smaller the difference in temperatures, the slower this exchange occurs.

As the temperature of the environment increases, this means of cooling becomes less and less efficient. The body then has to adapt in order to cool itself more effectively. Blood vessels will dialate, pushing blood closer to the surface of the skin for easier transmission of heat. Skin pores will expand to allow heat to escape at a faster rate. The body will begin to prespire, releasing warm water to evaporate into the environment, cooling the body even quicker.

We also try to consciously change our conditions to meet our body's comfort zone. We seek out shade to avoid creating more heat. We crave liquids to aid in our cooling processes. We seek out wind or fan ourselves in order to improve air flow, allowing us to more efficiently disperse heat.

In short, we start to become uncomfortable as our bodies are forced to adapt in order to maintain their ideal conditions.

Hope it helps...
Hope I'm right... :)
-Ted

[iskorpit]

Never really thought of it this way before. It does make sense, although I still don't completely understand why our comfort zone isn't 37C instead of, say, 21C. Is it random? One of the cosmic jokes of whoever created us?

comfort zone

[public_ear]

Nope no joke. T was right on teh money AND the comfort zone -is- our body temp.. at least it is just under the skin and our body actively keeps our body at the correct temperature. Since we didn't evolve with clothes though it makes more sense .. as a warm blooded creature no run the process a little hot and disperse the excess than a little cold and hope for warm clothes, a handy fire and shelter.
When we started adding these items a few minutes... err hours . err thousand years ago, we screwed up a system that took tens of thousands of years to get right ( go figure).
Once we developed the technology of wearing clothes, we expanded the range of the species and the typical comfort levels of the individuals.
That help at all?
-P

Re: comfort zone

[iskorpit]

We screwed it all up... that I definitely understand. ;-)

Actually, the whole thing makes sense. I hadn't factored in the concept of clothing.

Thanks!

J.