The HYPOTHALAMUS is vitally important because of its indirect control over body temperature.
The hypothalamus is an important part of the brain, because of the critical roles it plays in the life of some living organisms including humans. Some of the functions carried out by hypothalamus include: control of hunger, thirst, body temperature, release of hormone, etc. One of its most important functions is maintenance of homeostasis in the body. Homeostasis is the process of maintain constant temperature of the body.
The normal body temperature is 37 degree Celsius, it is very crucial to maintain this temperature because normal body metabolism will be affected if the body temperature is not at the optimal level. When the hypothalamus senses an increase in body temperature, it sends chemical signals to the sweat glands to produce sweat; sweating brings about the cooling of human system. When the temperature is too low (cold), the hypothalamus send signal to the muscles to produce shivering; the shivering brings about heat and warmth. This is basically the mechanism that the hypothalamus used to indirectly control body temperature and to maintain homeostasis.
