Final answer:
Heat is lost by the skin through convection, which involves the movement of air that has been warmed by the body, away and its replacement by cooler air. Approximately 15 percent of body heat is lost in this manner, playing a crucial role in temperature regulation alongside evaporation, radiation, and conduction.
Step-by-step explanation:
A way heat can be lost by the skin is convection, which is the transfer of heat to the air that is continually flowing away from the skin. This process involves the warm air, heated by the body, rising away and being replaced by cooler air.
Convection is also responsible for heat loss in water, where the water close to the skin is warmed and moves away, with cooler water moving in to take its place. This can create convection currents that can lead to hyperthermia if the body cannot replace the heat as fast as it is being lost.
Approximately 15 percent of the body's heat is lost through convection. This mechanism of heat exchange, along with others like evaporation, radiation, and conduction, helps to regulate body temperature.
For instance, radiation involves the emission of electromagnetic waves, while evaporation pertains to the transformation of water from liquid to gas, taking heat from the skin.
Conduction, on the other hand, is the heat transfer through direct physical contact, such as when you hold a glass of ice water and feel the cold transferring to your hand.