Thermoregulation in Children

This article discusses the thermoregulation of children in relation to their age. It discusses the two basic processes of thermoregulation, heat production and heat dissipation, and how they change with age. It also discusses the mechanisms of extra heat production that are activated when the temperature falls below threshold values.

Questions

• What are the two basic processes of thermoregulation?
• How do heat production and heat dissipation change with age?
• What are the mechanisms of extra heat production that are activated when the temperature falls below threshold values?

Answers

• The two basic processes of thermoregulation are heat production and heat dissipation. Heat production depends primarily on the rate of metabolic processes, while heat dissipation is defined by heat insulation provided by cutaneous coverings, vascular reactions, active outer respiration and perspiration.
• Heat production decreases with age, while heat dissipation increases. This is because the surface area to volume ratio increases with age, which means that more heat is lost from the body.
• The mechanisms of extra heat production that are activated when the temperature falls below threshold values are nonshivering thermogenesis and cold-induced muscle tremor. Nonshivering thermogenesis is a process that increases heat production in metabolically active tissues, such as the liver and brown adipose tissue. Cold-induced muscle tremor is a process that increases heat production by causing the muscles to contract involuntarily.