Temperature and its measurement Flashcards
What is thermoneutral zone
thermoneutral zone is the range of ambient temperature in which an person can maintain body temperature without increasing body heat production (metabolic rate) above resting level or at minmum oxygen consumption - at thermal equilibrium with environment
Minimum heat production is equal to minimum oxygen consumption as metabolism is primarily aerobic
WHat is is the thermoneutral zone for neonates
32-34 degrees
Thermoneutral zone for adults
25-30 degrees
Preterm babies have higher or lower thermoneutral zones and why?
Higher
Increased evaborative heat losses
Why are neonates particularly prone to heat stress (4) I.e why can’t they regulate when hot or cold
prone to getting too chold or too hot because of
- Large surface area to volume ratio
- thin subcutaneous tissue
- limited sweating capacity
- Limited ability to exert direct control on personal environment
This leads to higher proportionate evaporation from skin
Addit reealtive hgiher basal metabolic rate and therefore more heat to lose to maintain thermal equilibrium
Why is the thermoneutral zone less than body temperature
The body has a basal metabolic rate therefore producing more heat than its environment and requires a gradient to lose it too maintain equilibrium
What mechanisms arte used by a neonate to control its body temperature - in response to cold
Position and skin blood flow when within thermoneutral zone
In response to cold
- Behavioural - crying
- Skin vasoconstriction
- Non shivering thermogenesis (brown fat)
- Increased muscular acitivty and shivering - may also lead to removal of insulating materials
(shivering not well developed)
What is brown fat - how is it different to regular fat, where is it
Metabolically active fat tissue important for heat production in babies - increased metabolic activity producing heat (a type of non shivering thermogenesis)
Cytoplasm of ordinary fat cells have large fat globules and minimal mitochondria as they mainly store energy; however in brown fat many fat globules may be present but also large mitochondria
Some uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation so more heat for a given amount of metabolism, and glycogen is contained which provides glucose
It is located in abdominal locations (perinephric), around large BV, interscapular, base of neck
2-6% of body weight
Total body heat production can be doubled by increased brown fat activity
What mechanisms arte used by a neonate to control its body temperature - in response to heat
Response to warmth
- Behaviorual - crying
- SKin vasodilation
- Sweating (limited compared to adults) but stil can double evaporative heat losses
How much brown fat does a neonate have as a proportion of weight?
How much metabolic acitivty can it account for
2-6% of body weight
Total body heat production can be doubled by increased brown fat activity
Why does brown fat produce so much heat
Some uncoupling of oxidative phosphorylation so more heat for a given amount of metabolism, and glycogen is contained which provides glucose
What key factors in brown fat being used for heat need to be kept in mind for neonates
Oxygen required for heat production - therefore if cold and hypoxic will struggle
What triggers brown fat metabolism?
RIch sympathetic innervation which acts via beta recepotrs to cause increased lipolysis and fatty acid oxidation
Define heat and give its SI units
Heat - a measure of the average kinetic energy of a substance per degree of freedom of its constituent molecules
* Quantity of thermal energy contained in a substance
* Specific heat of water 4.2 kJ/kg/degree
* The body is about 85% of th that at 3.6kJ/kg/degree Celsius
* SI unit for energy si the Joule
What is specific heat capacity?
Specific heat capacity - the heat required to raise unit mass of the substance by 1 degree of temperature
Define temperature
Temperature -physical state of a substance which determines whether or not the substance is in thermal equilibrium with its surroundings - heat energy is transfered from areas of high temperature of lower temperature
* Temperature is a mean energy fo the molecules
* SI unit is kelvin
Define core body temperature
Core temperature - deep body temperature o internal organs measured as the rectal temperature which is 0.5 degrees higher than axillary temperature
Optimal function of enzymes is between what degrees
35-41
Above 45 degrees denature
What does Q10 refer to
The rate of reaction is related to temperature
Ratio of velocity of reaction when temperature increased by 10 degrees
Enzyme reactionstend to increase 2.5x for each 10 degree rise
Draw a diagram representing magnitude of compensatory response against temperature
What are the basic physics principles by which heat transfers
Basic mechanisms of heat transference
* Conduction - flow of heat energy via direct collisions between atoms and molecules of warmer and cooler regions and the resultant transfer of kinetic energy
◦ the better a conductor of heat the faster the rate of transfer e.g. metal feels cold because heat is transferred quickly into it
* Convection the transfer of heat from a body by the liquid or gas which surrounds it
◦ Passive - hot object cooling in still air
◦ Active - blowing air
* Radiation
◦ Hot bodies emit thermal energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation
◦ A black body is a body that absorbs all radiation that falls upon it - the best absorber. They are also the best emitters, the amount of radiation depends on the termperatre (stefan Boltzmann law) the radiation energy per unit of time from a black body is proportional to the 4th power of the temperature
Define conduction
flow of heat energy via direct collisions between atoms and molecules of warmer and cooler regions and the resultant transfer of kinetic energy
Define convection
- Convection the transfer of heat from a body by the liquid or gas which surrounds it
Define radiation
◦ Hot bodies emit thermal energy in the form of electromagnetic radiation
What are the mechanisms by which heat is lost form the body and what relative importance does each have
Radiation - 40-50% heat loss - emitting electromagnetic energy
◦ Higher rate of heat loss in neonates due to higher relative surface area
◦ Increased loss when peripheral circulation dilated
Convection and conduction
◦ 15% loss
Evaporation - 30% heat loss
◦ Skin ~20% - sweat as heat is required to turn water to vapour so thermal energy is removed
◦ Respiratory tract - 5% - 25% of which is through warming of the air, 75% by humidifying it
◦ Urination
◦ Defection
What proportion of total body heat loss does radiation contribute
40-50%
What proportion of body heat loss does evaporation contribute - wher eis most of this from
30%
Skin 20%
Respiratory tract 5%
How does the respiratory tract lose heat
25% from warming air
75% from humidifying it
What is the regulatory set point for temperature and its range
37 +/- 0.4
Where is the central regulator for temperature
hypothalamus
Interthreshold range define
the range of core temperature over which no autonomic thermoregulation responses occur
What factors cause variation in temperature normally
Circadian rhythm
Food
Thyroid
Drugs
Are temperature set points the same for mena dn women
no
Women 0.3 - 0.5 higher
How does the thyroid influence heat set points
- Thyroid hormone act on mitochondrial and nuclear receptors regulating membrane bound Na/K ATPase balancing heat production with heat loss
During the day when is your temperature hgihest and lowest
temperature lowest in early hours of morning, highest in evening
When does the body have a reduced sensitivty to changes in temperature
Anaesthetised
Old
Unwell
First response to hot
sweat
First response to cold
Vasoconstriction
What temperature is the skin usually kept at
29-33 degrees
Anterior hypothalamus which region is involved in temperature regulation
pre optic
Anterior hypothalamus programs responses to hot or cold
hot - senstivie to local warming
Increases firing rate producing sweating and vasodialtion
Regulates heat loss!!
Posterior hypothalamus responds to hot or cold more
cold
Regulates heat retention and creation
Which area of the hypothalamus is more important for set point and control
Posterior
How is the posterior hypothalamic set point cellularly modified
Neurotransmitters involved
‣ Determined by ratio of sodium and calcium ions in the posterior hypothalamus with input from acetylcholine
‣ Neurotransmittters involved (anterior hypothalamus)
* Noradrenaline
* Seratonin
* Dopamine
* PG
Where is heat information afferent transmitted through the spinal cord
lateral spinothalamic tract in anterior spinal cord - synaoses with reticular system in medullar and reaches posterolateral and ventrolateral medullary nuclei
How does the skin sense heat - what kind of receptors
Temperature mediated ion channels
Name of cold receptors, what layer of the skin
bulbs of krause in the dermis/deep to the epidermis
Bulbs of Krausse mediate what sensation? What size fibres? What threshold
Cold
A delta
Increased discharge below 25 degrees - maximum discharge; active from 10-40 degrees
Bulb of kraus especially located where
face
Do cold receptors constantly fire or periodically, to what stimulus?
Static (regular, periodic) discharges at constant temperatures
at 25 degrees increased discharge occurs; active over the ranges 10-40 degrees
Warm receptors referred to as?
Bulbs of ruffini
Describe the structural appearance of a bulb of ruffini?
Elliptical
Where do you find bulbs of ruffini
SC and intestines, all membranes
Deep to the dermis
Bulbs of ruffini afferent receptors are what type of fibre?
Unmyelinated C fibres
Describe the physiology of bulbs of ruffini firing?
- Static discharges between 30-40 degrees and maximal discharge at 44 degrees before ceasing at 46 degrees