Science Common Sense

17 - How do our bodies stay warm?

Our bodies stay warm because of a process called 'thermoregulation'. Here's how it works:

1. Our brain acts like a thermostat, checking our body temperature and making adjustments to keep us warm.
2. When we're cold, our brain sends signals to our muscles to shiver, which creates heat.
3. Our body also stores a type of fat called 'brown fat' that helps produce heat.
4. When we're cold, our blood vessels get smaller to keep the warm blood closer to our heart and brain, and farther from our skin.
5. We also sweat less when we're cold, so we don't lose too much heat through evaporation.

All these things work together to keep our body at a comfortable temperature, around 98.6°F (37°C), even when it's cold outside.