How does our body generate heat?
In: Biology
Every cell in your body has those things called mitochondria. Every single one of those works basically like a furnace. They burn fuel (usually glucose) in the presence of oxygen (which you breathe in) and generate energy and heat. Multiply this by the number of cells you have and add the fact that your body can control how much oxygen it gives to its cells and you get a body that generates heat to keep itself at a cozy 37 degrees Celsius.
When you move, your muscles move too. They get nice and big and squish other parts of your body. All of those parts are constantly rubbing together in a beautiful thing called friction. Of course there are other things like chemicals doing cool reactions but that is the main one.
Your body is a car engine. Food is fuel.
When an engine runs it burns petrol, which in turn generates movement and heat.
In your body the food you eat is digested, then shared throughout the body in your blood. This is the energy referred to casually as blood sugars, eg “my blood sugar is low” means I’m running low on fuel, and I need to eat.
All living cells in your body burns this energy coming from your blood, to do their “thing”. Muscle cell moves your body, brain cells move your thoughts etc, while also producing heat. Same as the car engine.
Your body wants to be 37 degrees Celsius.
If the cells doesn’t achieve that the body will then do other things to reach that temperature.
Sweating is literally liquid cooling your body when warm. Car engines radiator. Shaking when cold helps you warm up through friction and more movement in the cells.
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