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How the hairs and erector muscles regulate temperature in your body?
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
While the purpose of the hair and erector pili muscles of the skin is not fully known, temperature regulation seems to be the most likely function. Like other muscles in the body, when you get cold the contract repeatedly to generate heat. This is also called shivering. The same can be said for the erector pili muscles of the skin. What is confusing is that the muscles seem to also contract when one is scared, which cannot be directly linked to body temperature.
Wiki User
∙ 14y ago
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How does your body control and regulate its temperature?
Hair fibers can trap air (some are even hollow eg the Polar Bear's), shed water, shield the skin from wind and camouflage the animal. The animal uses its hairs to regulate temperature by either laying them flat to the skin (least insulation) or by making them stand out at a high angle to the skin (most insulation as more air gets trapped over a deeper distance). To do this each hair root (follicle) has a small erector muscle attached that can be used to pull the hair upright. In humans, where the hairs are very fine (we appear hairless on our bodies despite having the same number of hairs as a chimpanzee), when the erector muscles work we see our skin as having 'goosebumps' when we are cold.
What happens when the erector spinae contract concentrically?
Contraction of the erector spinae muscles can produce either unilateral flexion of the spine, or when they are used bilaterally they produce extension of the spine, which is more properly called the vertebral column.
Is arrector pili muscle the English spelling and erector pili muscle the American way to spell it?
The American way to spell the word is erector pili. This refers to the muscle connected to the hairs on the arms and other areas. Any erector muscle refers to a muscle that raises a body part in the event there is a signal to the brain that the body is no longer in the state of homeostasis. Meaning if the body temperature falls below or rises above normal, the erector pili muscle is targeted to cause the hairs to stand up and the body to get cold chills. This is one way the body returns to a homeostatic level.
What does skin do to help your body?
Our skin, dermis and epidermis, is the largest organ of the human body. It serves as our most important immune defence system, keeping bacterias out of our system. The skin is also important in temperature regulation as it reports our "shell temperature" which is usually lower than our "core temperature" which is the temperature of our viscera and should be about 37 C. It regulates temperature by sweating and by erector pili muscles which raises hair and gives you goosebumps. This will trap hot air between the hairs on the skin.
How does hairs standing up on your arms keep you warm?
A muscle beneath the upper layer of skin called the hair erector muscle contracts. When doing so it causes the hairs to stand up and this creates an insulation layer by trapping warm air, which also helps maintain a constant internal temperature.
What kind of nervous system activity takes place when you sense it is a cold day?
Your sensory nerves in your skin and mucous membranes notice the temperature. Reflex contraction of surface capillaries to retain heat and erector pili muscles to make the body hairs stand up may be the result of your body trying to maintain temperature. Your cerebral cortex may consider the need to get heavier clothes or find a warmer place to be.
What makes goosebumps appear?
Goosebumps are a natural reaction to cold temperatures or strong emotions such as fear or euphoria. Erector pili muscles attached to the hair follicles raise the hairs slightly. In response to cold, this traps heat among the hairs; as an animal response to danger, goosebumps cause the animal to appear larger and more threatening to a possible predator.
Causes hair to stand on end?
Little muscles at the base of each hair shaft called arrector pili (also Erector pili).When we are cold, muscles just below our skin, called erector muscles, contract. This pulls on our hairs, causing them to stand on end. By doing this, the hairs form an insulating layer of air, which keeps us warm and maintans our constant internal body temperature.
What makes the hair of some animals like dogs and cats to stand upright?
Each hair shaft grows from a follicle. Each follicle has a muscle associated with it called erector pili (Latin for "hair stander-upper"). When the muscle contracts, it makes the hair stand up. The muscle contracts when stimulated by cold, fear, or aggression.
Why does your hair stand on end when you take off your hat or a cold dry day?
When you take off your hat, you hair stands on end because of static electricity. Basically, the friction from your hat being removed causes the hairs to lose some electrons and become positively charged. Like-charges repel, so all of the positively charged hairs try to get as far away from each other as possible. This is why it stands on end. When you are cold, your hairs stand up to trap air. Air is a very good insulator, so the hairs trap pockets of it in an attempt to keep you warm. They stand up because little muscles under the skin attached to each hair (called hair erector muscles) contract, pulling the hairs upright.
What temperature will your nose hairs freeze?
Minus 38
What do elephants have 400000 of in their trunks?
I think it's Hairs?????
