The Skin

The skin has many roles in control of the core body temperature which can be associated with a structure and processes which are involved. This shall be discussed in the following essay. Organisms require a certain temperature range for the optimum functioning of their enzymes. Consequently, temperature is an important environmental abiotic factor. Most living things are adapted to life in terrestrial or in aquatic habitats tolerate a narrower temperature range than normally occurs in these habitats.

Heat is gained and lost by either heat being transferred by radiation, convection, conduction and evaporation or by heat being lost by radiation, convection, and by evaporation of water vapour by the body surface.

Animals were once described as either “cold blooded” or (poikilothermic), meaning the body temperature fluctuates according to the temperature of the environment, or as “warm blooded” (homoeothermic), meaning that the body is maintained at a con...