Dr. Graham Scott (McMaster University) presented intriguing research at the American Physiology Summit earlier this month in Long Beach, CA. His laboratory has been examining a potential link between the gut microbiome and the ability for deer mice to help regulate body temperature. Deer mice live in high elevations where atmospheric oxygen levels are low. This presents a physiological challenge as they have to use a lot of energy to […]
Human thermoregulation in a warm environment Thermoregulation is the ability for an organism to control body temperature within a specified physiological range even when environmental temperatures vary. A recent article published in Physiological Reviews explored thermoregulation in humans and how various factors such as age, body shape, adaptation, and biological sex impact a person’s ability to maintain body temperature. They also explored how various diseases such as multiple sclerosis, diabetes, […]
In a new article published in the American Journal of Physiology – Regulatory, Integrative and Comparative Physiology, Dr. David S. Goldstein (National Institutes of Health) presents an elegant historical perspective on homeostasis. Walter B. Cannon (1871-1945) was a physiologist at Harvard Medical School who is credited with coining the term “homeostasis” to describe how the body attempts to regulate itself to stay healthy. The ability for the body to regulate the […]
Life Lines by Dr. Dolittle 