ABSTRACT
The human is homoeothermic, meaning that body temperature is maintained within narrow limits independently of fluctuations in environmental temperature. For thermoregulatory purposes the body can be regarded as consisting of a core within which the temperature is 37°C and an outer shell where the ideal average temperature is 33 °C, although this value is largely dependent on environmental factors. The precise temperature gradient from core to skin depends on the body part, but generally speaking the size of the gradient that exists between the skin and the environment will determine the amount of heat that is lost or gained by the body.
