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Temperature affects how the enzymes work in your body. Enzymes are proteins that catalyze (i.e. incraese the rates of) chemical reactions in living cells. If it gets too hot or cold the enzymes might denature and lose the shape of their active site, which means the substrate may no longer fit and this decreases the rate of the chemical reactions. Moreover, if the temperature is too high one may start to sweat in order to evaporate some of the heat off their skin. If too much water is lost through sweating, one may become dehydrated and experience a variety of symptoms. If the temperature is too cold, one may begin to shiver in order to gain heat, which uses energy from respiration. One may also experience hypothermia.

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15y ago
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10y ago

Reading that as 'Does the surrounding or ambient temperature affect your body? ...

Yes,

The core human body temperature needs to be kept between 94-100 °F which is does by a range of physiological actions, from sweating (to cool) and shivvering (to warm) and of course external actions like opening windows and standing in the shade.

If the core temperature deviates from this range either for long enough or by a greater degree organs can be damaged and outside what is still quite a narrow temperature limit death will follow.

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11y ago

If the temperature rises, cellular respiration in the body will increase and you will feel more tired because your body has to work harder to cool you off. You may also release sweat. If you are exposed to too warm of temperature you could overheat and get headaches etc.

If the temperature decreases, you will obviously feel colder ans sometimes your nervous system will make you shiver, which is a way to generate heat. You may also get goosebumps which will also help make you warmer. If you are exposed to extremely cold temperatures you can get hypothermia and you may even die.

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10y ago

The human body has to properly regulate a constant temperature of around 98.6 degrees Fahrenheit because that is the optimal temperature at which all of its chemical and enzymatic processes need to work properly. Too far above (hyperthermia, pyrexia) and below (hypothermia) this temperature results in the ability for various bodily processes to work. Enzymes fail to function as catalysts, proteins can denature, or other processes may not have the required energy to generate reactions.

In cases of fever/hyperthermia above 104, the body gets dangerously warm, causing disorientation, fatigue, cramping, hallucinations, and other physical symptoms. Beyond 108 degrees, brain and other organ damage can occur.

In cases of hypothermia (extreme cold), the body's metabolic processes start to shut down. It starts with a feeling of numbness and sleepiness, and progresses to loss of consciousness and then death.

However, in most cases, hyperthermia is more dangerous than hypothermia. In hypothermia, the reduction in metabolism can actual protect the body from damage, as many catabolic processes are slowed. The exception to this is extreme hypothermia (as in frostbite), where ice crystals form in the cells, breaking them open, and destroying tissue.

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Q: How does temperature effect the body?
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