Final answer:
Thermoregulation in humans is managed by a negative feedback system, which corrects deviations from the body's set temperature by initiating heat loss or heat gain mechanisms. This process involves several steps including sensing the temperature change, relaying information to the hypothalamus, and activating effectors that adjust the temperature.
Step-by-step explanation:
Thermoregulation and Feedback Systems
The process of thermoregulation in the human body is based on a feedback system known as negative feedback. In this system, a deviation from the body's set point temperature triggers a response that aims to restore homeostasis.
When body temperature strays from the normal range, receptors send signals to the brain's temperature regulation center. The brain, specifically the hypothalamus, then activates effectors, such as sweat glands or muscles for shivering, to adjust the body temperature back to the set range.
Negative feedback loops consist of five basic parts and function to either promote heat loss or heat gain depending on whether the body temperature is above or below the set point.
In some situations, such as during an infection, the set point can be adjusted to create a new homeostatic equilibrium, commonly seen as a fever, which can help the body fight infection more effectively.
Contrary to negative feedback, positive feedback mechanisms are less common in biological systems and generally do not serve to maintain homeostasis. Instead, they amplify or reinforce a change that is occurring, leading to a greater deviation from the normal range.