Final answer:
Negative feedback is the mechanism through which the body regulates its temperature by causing sweating and dilation of blood vessels in response to an increase in body temperature.
Step-by-step explanation:
When body temperature increases, the body's internal thermostat detects this change. Receptors in the skin and brain sense the temperature change and send a signal to initiate a response to help return the body to its normal temperature, a state known as homeostasis. This involves the production of sweat and the dilation of blood vessels near the skin's surface, a process known as vasodilation. As sweat evaporates, it cools the body, and vasodilation allows more blood to flow near the skin's surface, releasing heat. These physiological changes are part of a negative feedback loop, where the body works to counteract a deviation from its set point, in this case, normal body temperature.
The body can also conserve heat through vasoconstriction, the narrowing of blood vessels, which occurs in response to cold temperatures. Unlike positive feedback, which amplifies a condition (like during childbirth or milk production in nursing mothers), a negative feedback loop acts to stabilize physiological conditions within a narrow range.