Final answer:
The sympathetic nervous system is responsible for regulating perspiration when the body is too warm. This part of the nervous system stimulates the sweat glands to produce sweat, which evaporates off the skin's surface to cool the body and maintain a stable internal temperature, a process known as thermoregulation.
Step-by-step explanation:
When you are too warm, your sympathetic nervous system releases hormones that make you perspire. This is part of a process called thermoregulation, which is how your body maintains its core internal temperature. The sweat glands, which are part of the integumentary system, play a crucial role in this process.
The skin helps regulate body temperature in several ways. When the body is too warm, the blood vessels in the skin dilate (or widen), which allows more blood to flow through the skin and brings body heat to the surface to radiate into the environment. At the same time, the sweat glands produce sweat which, when it evaporates from the skin's surface, cools the body as body heat is dissipated.
Without this mechanism, the body would not be able to efficiently release excess heat, especially in situations where the surrounding temperatures are high or during vigorous activity. The sweat glands can produce a significant amount of sweat, reaching up to 0.7 to 1.5 liters per hour for an active person, which is essential for maintaining a stable body temperature and preventing overheating.