Final answer:
The respiratory system regulates body temperature through vasoconstriction and vasodilation of blood vessels, controlled by the autonomic nervous system, affecting blood flow to an individual's body surface.
Step-by-step explanation:
Vasoconstriction and vasodilation in the blood vessels of the respiratory system are key processes that regulate body temperature. These vessels constrict or dilate to control the flow of blood to the body's surface, helping to either release or conserve heat. The sympathetic nervous system controls this mechanism as part of the body's fight-or-flight response, where vasodilation increases blood flow to muscles and vasoconstriction reduces it to digestive organs.
Moreover, the pulmonary plexus, consisting of nerves that enter the lungs at the hilum and follow the bronchi, enables the regulation of airway dilation and constriction through autonomic control. Reflex actions like coughing and the regulation of oxygen and carbon dioxide levels in the lungs also depend on this control system.