SKIN
The skin's structure is closely related to its function of regulating body temperature. Skin
consists of layers: the epidermis, dermis Skin consists of two layers.
1. Epidermis: This is the outermost
protective layer of skin without
blood vessels, consisting mainly of
epithelial cells. It serves as a barrier
to prevent the loss of bodily fluids
and the entry of pathogens.
2. Dermis: The dermis lies beneath the
epidermis and contains blood
vessels, sensory nerve endings, sweat
and oil glands, hairs and fat cells.
Structures involved in temperature regulation
1. Blood vessels (capillaries and arterioles) in the dermis layer
Blood vessels are present in the dermis. The vasodilation and vasoconstriction help to
regulate body temperature. The constriction and dilation of arterioles is caused by the contraction
of muscles in the arteriole walls.
Vasodilation: Dilation of the arterioles is called vasodilation. When the skin arterioles
dilate, more blood is sent to blood capillaries in your skin. The dermis contains blood vessels,
including capillaries and arterioles. When the body needs to cool down, these blood vessels dilate
(expand), allowing more blood to flow near the skin's surface. This facilitates heat transfer from
the body's core to the skin, where it can be dissipated into the environment through radiation,
conduction, and convection.
Vasoconstriction: The constriction of the arterioles in the skin, or vasoconstriction,
reduces the amount of blood flowing through the capillaries in the skin. Vasoconstriction warms
the body by reducing heat loss from the blood vessels of the skin.
Certain parts of your skin contain shunt vessels. These vessels connect the skin arterioles
with skin venules. They control the amount of blood flowing through skin capillaries which in turn
affect heat loss through your skin surface.
2. Sweat Glands
Each sweat gland is a coiled tube formed by a downgrowth of the epidermis. It forms a
tight knot in the dermis and is surrounded by many blood capillaries.
Secreted sweat flows through a
sweat duct to a sweat pore that opens at the
skin surface. Secreted Sweat is mainly made
up of water and it contains dissolved salts
(mainly sodium chloride) and small amounts
of urea. Since sweat contains small amounts
of metabolic waste products, such as urea,
the skin is considered an excretory organ.
Sweat is secreted continuously. The
amount of sweat produced varies on the
external and internal environmental
conditions. Sweat produced in very small
quantities evaporate almost immediately
whereas sweat produced in large quantities
appears as droplets on your skin or as
'running streaks' of liquid.
Sweat produced by these glands contains water and salts, and when it evaporates
from the skin's surface, it cools the body. Sweat is a means by which your skin regulates body
temperature.
3. Hair
Although hairs are embedded in the dermis, they are produced by the epidermis. The
Malpighian layer of the epidermis sinks into the dermis, forming a hollow tube called the hair
follicle. Each hair grows inside the hair follicle. At the base of the hair follicle is a mass of tissue
called the hair papilla, which contains blood capillaries and nerves. It is covered with epidermal
cells that constantly divide, pushing new cells outwards. The cells that are pushed outwards
gradually die and harden to form the hair.
The hair erector muscles are attached to the hair follicles.
When these muscles contract, hairs 'stand on their ends'; and skin around the hair is raised,
producing 'goose pimples' in humans. It creates an insulating blanket of warm air to prevent heat
loss.
When these muscles relax, hairs lie flat and providing no insulation. Thus allowing heat loss from
the skin.
Figure 1 goosebumps
4. Sensory receptors
The structure in the body that detect changes in the environment (i.e. stimuli) are called
sensory receptors or Sense organs. The nerve endings in the skin are sensory receptors. They
enable you to sense pain, pressure and temperature changes in the external environment.
Receptors that detect temperature changes are called thermoreceptors.
5. Subcutaneous fat
Beneath the dermis are several layers of adipose cells (adipose tissue) where fat is stored.
The fat in these cells also serves as an insulating layer, reducing heat loss.
To illustrate, imagine your body is exposed to hot weather:
Step 1: Your body temperature begins to rise.
Step 2: Sweat glands in the epidermis produce sweat.
Step 3: Sweat evaporates on the skin's surface, cooling the body down.
Step 4: Blood vessels in the dermis dilate, allowing more blood flow to the skin's surface, further
promoting heat dissipation.
Conversely, in cold weather:
Step 1: Your body temperature drops.
Step 2: Blood vessels in the dermis constrict, reducing blood flow to the skin's surface to conserve
heat.
Step 3: The subcutaneous fat layer acts as insulation, preventing heat loss.
Step 4: If it's extremely cold, you may experience goosebumps as tiny muscles in the hair follicles
contract, trapping warm air close to the skin.
This intricate interaction between skin structure and function helps the body maintain its
core temperature within a narrow range, crucial for overall health and function.
Regulating body temperature
The hypothalamus in your brain monitors s and regulates your body temperature. The
hypothalamus receives information about temperature changes from two sources- thermoreceptors in
your skin which detects temperature from the environment and thermoreceptors in the hypothalamus
which detect temperature of the blood.
What happens when human body temperature begins to rise?
When you perform vigorous muscular activities, a large amount of heat is produced. On a warm
day, the rate of heat loss is reduced. The heat produced accumulates in your body and causes a rise in your
blood temperature. This change is detected by the hypothalamus, causing it to send out nerve impulses to
the relevant body parts to bring about the changes listed below.
Changes in the human body when temperature rises
Dilation of arterioles in your skin and constriction of shunt vessels allow more blood to flow
through blood capillaries in your skin. This allows more heat to be lost through your skin by
radiation, convection and conduction.
Sweat glands become more active, resulting in increased production of sweat. As more water in the
sweat evaporates from the surface of your skin, more latent heat of vaporisation is lost from your
body. This is an efficient means of losing heat.
Decreased metabolic rate, to reduce the admount of In winter, the Parus major bird reduces
heat released within your body. the loss of body heat by fluffing up its
feathers.
What happens when human body
temperature begins to fall?
On a cold day, the rate of heat loss from the body increases, especially at the skin surface. A drop
in temperature stimulates the temperature receptors in your skin, which then rapidly send nerve impulses
to the hypothalamus.
A drop in the temperature of the blood is also detected by the hypothalamus. In both cases, the
hypothalamus will promptly send nerve impulses to the relevant body parts to bring about the changes listed
below:
Changes in the human body when temperature falls
Constriction of your skin arterioles and dilation of shunt vessels So that less blood flows through
blood capillaries in your skin. This reduces the heat lost by convection, radiation and conduction.
Sweat glands become less active, resulting in decreased production o of sweat. As less water in the
sweat evaporates from the surface of your skin, less latent heat of vaporization is lost from your
body
Increased metabolic rate, to increase the amount of heat released within your body.
When the above reactions are not sufficient to prevent a drop in body temperature, 'shivering', a
reflex contraction of your body muscles occurs. This spasmodic contraction of the skeletal muscles
increases the amount of heat released and helps to raise your body temperature to normal.
