Temperature Regulation

The term "homeostasis" refers to the processes that keep the body's internal environment constant. It encompasses a diverse array of physiologic phenomena which must be carefully regulated in order to function correctly. This regulation consists primarily of adaptive mechanisms. Thus, homeostatic mechanisms create a uniform internal environment by maintaining the individual's independence from continuous changes in the external world.

For temperature regulation, the peripheral and central nervous systems both work together. The peripheral nervous system typically acts through the autonomic and diffuse enteric systems; whereas the central nervous system can control the body through the pituitary gland, as well as through other endocrine organs. In addition, human beings possess the capacity for complex behaviors which supplement their homeostatic mechanisms. The coordinated functioning of both the central and peripheral nervous systems is required for such actions as obtaining shelter or wearing clothes.

The body's temperature is monitored by both external and internal thermoreceptors. The external thermoreceptors are located in the skin and the internal receptors occur on neurons in the periventricular zone of the hypothalamus. It seems that the internal thermoreceptors are the most important for maintaining temp

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t that many of the brain's structures responsible for the homeostasis and rhythms of the body also produce emotion. Some of the most important of these structures include those that comprise the limbic system. The limbic system is also known as the "animal brain" because its parts and functions appear to be essentially alike in all animals. It sits above the brainstem but under the cortex, and includes certain nuclei in the anterior thalamus and the hypothalamus. The neurons of the hypothalamus induce the changes in the autonomic nervous system (i.e., heart rate, respiration, etc.) that typically accompany strong emotion. Another component of the limbic system is the amygdala. The amygdala lies deep in the lateral forebrain and is responsible for aggressive behavior and fear reactions. Adjacent to the amygdala is the hippocampus. Thus far, the role of the hippocampus in producing emotion remains unclear. Encircling the hippocampus and the other structures of the limbic system is the cingulate gyrus. A twoway fiber system, the fornix, follows the curve of the cingulate gyrus and connects the hippocampus to the hypothalamus. Another structure, the septum, receives neural input through the fornix from the hippocampus
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