Thermoregulation in Mammal

Muntazir Mehdi
Temperature regulation in mammals

Mammals are widely distributed all over the world they face many harsh conditions .
Sometimes they have a need to conserve heat and sometimes they have a need to dissipate
excess amount of energy for their survival
 Thermoregulation is the ability of an organism to keep its body temperature within
certain boundaries, when the surrounding temperature is very different. The internal
thermoregulation is one aspect of homeostasis.
 If the body is unable to maintain a normal temperature and it increases significantly
above normal temperature such condition is called Hyperthermia human experiences
hyperthermia when the wet bulb temperature is sustained above 35C for six hours.
 The opposite condition when body temperature decreases below normal temperature
37C this condition is called Hypothermia . In this condition the body temperature get
lower than 35C . It is treated by method that attempt to rise the body temperature
back to a normal range
Classification of mammals
Endotherms : All the mammals are mostly endothermic . Endotherms mostly creates
of their body heat via metabolic process and referred to as a warm-blooded animals.
When surrounding temperature is very low they increase metabolic rate and voice
versa .
Example:Red kangaroo ,lions,bear , elephant etc
 The control of body temperature is done by the Hypothalamus . This is a brain gland
that is responsible for heat production and heat loss. It get information from the other
parts of body such as receptor in skin and temperature of blood in body .
Muntazir Mehdi
Method for temperature regulation

01)Heat producing mechanism
 Shivering thermogenesis : it is a muscular activity which generate large amount of
heat to warm their body
 Non-shivering thermogenesis: in this process heat is produced by general cellular
metabolism i.e by metabolism of brown fats
 Mammals pelage or Fat deposition; heat production is a most important in
thermoregulation. Mammals warm up their body by their pelage or Fat deposition in
their skin
 The animals without pelage they drop their body surface temperature and conserved
heat . Example walrus in cold arctic water have body surface temperature 0C and in
few centimeter having 35C . They increase their body temperature by peripheral blood
flow towards skin.
02)Heat conserving posture:

 Counter current heat exchange system: It regulates heat loss from exposed area.
Arteries of appendages are surrounded by veins. The veins carry blood back towards the
body. Heat is transferred from arterials blood to venous blood thus heat is retuned to
the body . It is no lost in environment.
 During excessive heat production blood is shunted away from the countercurrent vein
towards peripheral vessel.
 Appendages with thin covering of fur: Their appendages have thin covering of fur. Heat
is produced in winter in these mammals . Therefore they have a patches of poorly
insulated skin. These patches allowed excess heat to dissipate. However The Arctic
mammals reduce heat loss from these exposed area during the period of inactivity or
extreme cold . They assume heat- conserving postures
 Mammals took their appendages
 Their faces under well insulated body parts in cold temperature.
03) Sweating: Sweat glands in the skin produced evaporative cooling to bring down the
body temperature. It is mostly found in human
04) Panting: it helps dogs to cool down themselves because they cannot sweat like human .
Panting helps a dog to inhale humidity and then exhale air rapidly which increase the
evaporation of water from dog’s and lungs for temperature regulation.
Muntazir Mehdi
05) opening capillaries: the capillaries of skin are open up and allowed to heat to
escape for cooling of body.
06) Winter sleep: some mammals retreat to burrows under the snow. They become less
active but they still relatively alert and easily aroused . This condition is called winter sleep .
Example Bears and raccoons in winter move to dens. Their body temperature and metabolic
rate is decreased. But they not remain all the winter.
07) Hibernation: It’s a period of winter inactivity. During hibernation the hypothalamus of
brain slow the metabolic ,heart ,And respiratory rates. Example
 True hibernator are monotremes ( echidna and duck- billed platypus)
 Many members of the insectivora(e.g. moles and shrews) , Rodentia (e.g. chipmunk and
woodchucks ) and Chiroptera

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Muntazir Mehdi

Temperature regulation in mammals

Method for temperature regulation

02)Heat conserving posture:

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