Why do we feel cold in winter and how our body protects itself from the chill
Why do we feel cold in winter and how our body protects itself from cold weather? The answer lies in a phenomenon called heat transfer and our body's response to it
To function properly, the human body needs to maintain a constant core temperature close to 37 degrees Celsius. (Image: News18 Creative)
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The internal body temperature is regulated by a part of our brain called the hypothalamus. The hypothalamus checks our current temperature and compares it with the normal temperature of about 37 degrees Celsius. (Image: News18 Creative)
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When there is a temperature difference between two objects, heat transfers from the area/body of higher temperature to the lower temperature. (Image: News18 Creative)
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To retain a constant internal temperature of about 37 degrees Celsius, our bodies have developed sophisticated mechanisms to respond to temperature fluctuations in the environment. (Image: News18 Creative)
Nerves in our skin are our first line of defence. They pick up changes and send impulses to the brain about skin temperature. (Image: News18 Creative)
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37 degrees Celsius is the normal human body core temperature and at 35 degrees Celsius, the cold feeling is very intense. By this time, your hypothalamus begins to divert blood flow from skin (to prevent heat loss) which may cause your skin to feel numb and appear bluish or grey. (Image: News18 Creative)
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Your body protects itself from the cold by generating sufficient body heat by burning food. (Image: News18 Creative)
