Final answer:
In response to decreased body temperature, skeletal muscles shiver to produce heat as a part of the body's homeostatic mechanisms to regulate temperature. The involuntary contractions initiated by the nervous system help raise body temperature by converting the energy from ATP breakdown into heat.
Step-by-step explanation:
Skeletal muscles contribute to the maintenance of homeostasis in the body by generating heat during contraction. When the body experiences a decrease in temperature, a response is triggered to maintain thermal equilibrium. This response is characterized by shivering, which is an involuntary contraction of skeletal muscles initiated by the nervous system in response to cold stimuli. Skeletal muscles shiver to produce heat, thus raising body temperature and helping the body to return to a state of homeostasis. During this process, ATP is broken down in the muscle cells and a significant portion of the energy from ATP, that would otherwise be used for muscle actions, is converted into heat. This heat generated by shivering helps to warm the body up, protecting against the effects of the cold environment. The coordinated contraction and relaxation of skeletal muscles result in the shivering that generates the necessary heat required for thermoregulation.